Not From Others
by FloreatCastellum
Summary: She may not have been able to join Harry, Ron and Hermione, but Ginny refuses to go down without a fight. As war approaches, Ginny returns to Hogwarts to resurrect Dumbledore's Army and face the darkest year the wizarding world has ever seen. DH from Ginny's POV. Canon. Winner of Mugglenet's Quicksilver Quill Awards 2016, Best General (Chaptered).
1. Chapter 1

A thick silence filled the kitchen of the Burrow. Ginny sat uneasily at the table, rapidly tapping her fingers against her cold cocoa mug while her mother clattered at the sink. Molly threw a strained look at the family clock, hands all stubbornly stuck to 'mortal peril', and then at her own watch. 'They should have reached Surrey by now,' she said lightly.

Ginny was not sure if she was expected to respond, but nodded anyway. 'Approaching Guildford at the very least.' Her mother did not seem particularly reassured, but at least attempted to smile before turning back to her washing up.

'Are you sure you don't want-?' Ginny started to ask, but Molly simply waved a soapy hand behind herself, only vaguely in Ginny's direction.

'No, no, don't be silly. It's quite therapeutic doing it the Muggle way… Why don't you tell me about your N.E.W.T choices? You must have decided by now.'

Ginny rather wished that they could return to the anxious silence. 'Erm… yeah, I guess I have some ideas but it just depends on my results…'

'I hope you focused, Ginny,' Molly said sternly, turning to look at her with a suspicious gaze. 'Rather than running around with Harry all over the place. You may not have mentioned anything in your letters, but Ronald certainly did.'

'It's not-' Ginny interjected furiously. 'He shouldn't have- it doesn't matter now anyway!'

Molly raised a hand to silence her. 'I know that, do you think I hadn't noticed you sulking all over the place? I've had the full story already.'

'You mean you've heard Ron's side of the story. Not mine. So not the full story.'

Her mother's face became more sympathetic. 'Well, I'm only bringing it up now, aren't I? While it's just us.' She walked over and sat across from Ginny, who promptly looked straight down at the battered table. Fred and George had at one point carved their initials into it, and she ran a finger over the rough, slanted lines. 'I need to know, Ginny. I need to know that when Harry gets here, that you'll be all right.'

'Of course.' A horrible thought came to her, and she looked at her mother with accusing eyes. 'You're not going to tell him off, are you?'

Molly tutted and gave a shake of her head. 'Oh really, Ginny, I do know the boy quite well, I can't imagine he was happy about ending it either… but we all know it's for the best.'

Feeling an odd sense of embarrassment, Ginny pressed her lips tightly together to prevent them from quivering. She would not cry about this, not even to her mother. She took a deep breath, and then, in a measured voice, 'yes, it makes sense. Hermione and I did try to spread some rumours that it was nastier too, to make it more convincing, you know…'

'You know,' said her mum cheerfully. 'Ron and Hermione really could only give me an observer's point of view. I would like to hear about my daughter's first venture into love from my daughter herself.'

Ginny blushed. 'I've had boyfriends before, Mum.'

'Yes, but all the same, we have a bit of a wait ahead of us so you may as well fill me in on everything from start to finish. I'll bear it in mind when I'm telling Harry off.'

Ginny snorted, a fantastic vision of Harry cowering at her mother's furious shouting sweeping through her mind. 'Oh, don't!' she cackled. 'He'll head straight back to Surrey.'

The tension and anxiety of just a few minutes ago seemed to lift as they laughed, Ginny telling a carefully innocent account of her achingly brief relationship. She doubted Molly believed her, but the details did not seem to matter; they simply relished in their chance to speak as women, uninterrupted and at ease. It was wonderful to speak of those days, and Ginny was even beginning to feel nostalgic, despite how recent they were. Her mother knew all the right things to say, knew when to smile warmly, knew when to agree that something was terribly romantic and knew exactly which questions to ask so that Ginny could recount her stories without feeling uncomfortable.

'Why didn't you tell me any of this before?' asked Molly. 'I don't see why you had to keep it secret from your own mum.'

Ginny shrugged. 'I don't know… it wasn't a deliberate choice or anything, I would have told you when I saw you, but then Dumbledore… Well, then it was over, wasn't it? I don't know why I didn't put it in letters. Maybe I knew it couldn't last.'

'Hmmph. Well when this nonsense is all over I'm sure the pair of you can pick up where you left off. He's practically family anyway and I should quite like it to become official one day.'

Ginny rolled her eyes. 'Mum, seriously…'

'Well, why not? He's a nice boy and you've been after him since you were tiny.'

Memories of terrible poetry, singing dwarves and buttery elbows pushed themselves, quite uninvited, to the front of Ginny's mind, and she could feel her cheeks growing hot with embarrassment. 'Yes, well, that was more me being a bit star struck, wasn't it? Anyway, who knows how long he'll be away.'

Molly's demeanor changed quite rapidly. 'Oh, don't listen to Ron,' she snapped. 'These silly boys, they get it into their heads that they can go off on a grand adventure without really thinking it through.'

'Hermione is leaving too…' said Ginny slyly.

'Which I'm very surprised at, but-' her voice faltered. She had glanced at her watch and had suddenly turned grey. 'Goodness, I… I didn't realize how long we'd been talking…' She turned around and looked at the back door. 'They should be back any moment.'

Together, they walked to the kitchen sink and peered out at the yard below. Ginny's heart seemed to plummet. A rusty oil can lay innocently on the rough flagstone.

The silence had returned like an unwelcome visitor, and a cold, tight feeling in her chest reminded Ginny how afraid she really was. 'It'll be fine, Mum,' she said quietly. 'It's a brilliant plan.'

'But that's meant to be Ron's!' squealed Molly, bursting into tears. 'Why has he missed it? Tonks was with him, they should be here…'

But time continued to pass, and the garden of the Burrow continued to be devastatingly peaceful. A brief flash of blue, and an old plimsoll fell to the ground from nowhere. Molly gave a shuddering gasp, and clutched Ginny's arm. 'Arthur… Fred…' She pulled a wrinkled piece of parchment out of her apron, unfolding it in trembling hands. 'Yes, see? See? They're meant to be here!'

Ginny couldn't stand it. 'Come on, Mum,' she said gently, trying to push her own fear out of her voice. 'Let's sit back at the table. Portkeys are easy to miss. Come on…' Molly breathed heavily through sobs, trying to calm herself and impatiently wiping away tears. Ginny felt dizzy. In her mind she imagined the yard outside, with dozens of falling portkeys, dropping silently to earth.

'The polyjuice potion will have run out by now as well,' said Molly. 'I hope that-' A great crash from outside made them jump, and Molly screamed. Ginny felt as though she could scream too, she could feel the dread and despair at the back of her throat and she wanted rid of it. They ran to the door, Molly wrenching it open with the strength of a large animal, and hurried down the steps.

There stood Harry, looking disorientated and stressed, swaying slightly, and Hagrid, who was picking himself up from the floor. Ginny had never experienced both joy and terror before, but she could barely begin to describe her feelings as Harry looked up at her.

'Harry? You are the real Harry? What happened? Where are the others?' cried her mother.

Harry looked horrified, and Ginny felt the desire to scream rise once again. She listened to Harry explain, his voice pleading and distressed, watched her mother pull him into a hug. Her mother darted into the house to fetch brandy for Hagrid, and Ginny seized the opportunity to explain their fear to Harry, willing herself to stay calm.

'Mum!' she shouted, pointing to a bright blue light. Hagrid stopped downing his brandy, Harry spun to look where she was pointing and Molly hurried forward. Lupin and George appeared, and her moment of delight stopped abruptly as she saw Harry bolt forwards towards them and seize George's legs. Ginny was vaguely aware of blood, and she helped them into the house without really understanding what she was doing, but as light fell onto her brother she gasped at the sight before her.

No longer would Fred and George be identical, and it was though their very identity had been stolen from them. George's missing ear branded him as an individual, marked him for life, and the vicious crimson colour of the blood clashed terrifyingly with his ginger hair. She wanted to cry but couldn't think; she could hear Lupin and Hagrid shouting in the background and Harry arguing, but she couldn't tear her eyes from this calamity, this dark injury. Something awoke inside her and a sudden calmness spurred her into action. She could hear scuffling from outside, but her focus was on assisting her mother, stemming the bleeding and cleaning the wound. George was pale, every freckle standing out more than ever, but as they tended to him she felt more and more relieved at his existence and his steady pulse that she could feel under her fingers as she wiped the blood off his neck.

'How is he?' she looked up and saw Harry, frowning down at George with devastated concern.

'I can't make it grow back,' said her mother, 'not when it's been removed by Dark Magic. But it could have been so much worse… he's alive.'

He was alive, thought Ginny firmly, and she could hear Harry agreeing, and as awful as it was she knew now that he was safe. 'Did I hear someone else in the yard?' she asked Harry, and she felt another wave of relief as he gave a short nod and told her that Hermione and Kingsley had made it back. 'Thank goodness,' she whispered, and it struck her that he was here, within reach. He made a movement towards her, but panicked shouting jolted their attention to the kitchen, as her dad and Fred stumbled, gloriously uninjured, into the room. She watched their reunion, and breathed more easily as George awoke, but a creeping anxiety still played on her mind. Harry caught her eye, and gave a jerk of his head to the door.

She followed him, saying, 'Ron and Tonks should be back by now. They didn't have a long journey; Auntie Muriel's not that far from here.' She hoped, rather selfishly, that he shared her fear, that he was as troubled and afraid as she was. Without thinking, she took his hand, and he was like an anchor to her they stepped into the yard and she looked up at the sky.

She knew that others were there watching and waiting too, but in their fear and faced with the vastness of the starry sky above, she felt as though it were just her and Harry, alone in their desperation. When Ron and Tonks finally arrived, she finally began to feel more normal again, even began to feel happiness at the edges of her mind, because surely the worst had happened, the others would be here soon, just as safe as Ron. She hurried back inside, bursting into the living room where her parents and Fred were still huddled round George.

'Ron's back! And Tonks! They're fine, both fine!'

By the time Bill and Fleur arrived, Ginny was feeling almost cheerful. That George had lost an ear hardly seemed to matter now that he was busy thinking up new comedy material about it, and as she watched Bill's Thestral come down to land she thought happily of the success of the plan, that Harry was here and everyone was-

'Mad-Eye's dead.'

It could not be true, it had to be a mistake. Surely it had been confusing, she imagined chaos, spells flying, how could he be sure? Mad-Eye was the most experienced, most skilled, most prepared for this situation.

The reality of chance and death seemed to hit her in that moment, and though she could hear Bill talking, all she could think about was how ridiculous, how random it was. She glanced at Harry and wished she could embrace him; the anguish and guilt on his face was crushing.

When she looked back on that night, in the years to come, she rarely recalled the frightened argument in the living room. She sometimes thought of, and understood, Harry's desire to leave, and her family's frustration. She often repeated George's terrible ear jokes. But more than anything else she remembered her first taste of Firewhiskey, forever associated with the fierceness and devastation of Alastor Moody.


	2. Chapter 2

Ginny peered down through the window out across the dark yard and into the garden, where she could see Harry, Ron and Hermione huddled round the gate. Hermione was gripping hold of Harry's arm, and even from a distance and through the darkness, Ginny could make out her expression of horrified concern.

'You always were a sneaky little spy,' came a voice.

Ginny spun round and glared at Fred. 'Bugger off,' she muttered, turning back to the window where Harry was still leaning over the gate, as though he was going to be sick.

'Oh, there's no shame in it,' said Fred cheerfully. 'We all want to know what those three are up to. Any notes to swap?'

'Go away. Don't you have a twin brother to be looking after?'

'Nah… it's all a bit "eerie" down there, if you get my drift. Get it? Because of-'

'Yes, I get it, Fred.' She frowned. Harry, Ron and Hermione were now heading back into the house, and movement downstairs suggested everyone had decided to turn in for the night. She should have asked Fred if he had an Extendable Ears.

'I'm sure if you hurry to bed now, you can pretend you weren't snooping and try to guilt trip Hermione. But you have to let me know what she says.' Ignoring her eye roll with a cheeky wink, Fred patted her on the shoulder and wandered off down the corridor.

By the time Hermione did arrive upstairs, Ginny had followed Fred's advice and was waiting in bed, sitting up against the pillows pretending to read a book. 'Oh, hello, Hermione. You're up late, what-'

'Oh, cut it out, Ginny, I know you were trying to snoop on us. I bumped into Fred on the way up,' said Hermione, amused.

'That bastard!'

'Trust no one,' laughed Hermione, getting into her camp bed. 'It was nothing terribly exciting anyway, Harry was just upset about… well, you know.'

Ginny nodded, and with a jolt thought of Mad-Eye. 'Are Lupin and Bill back yet?'

'No, and Tonks has gone home too. It's just awful, isn't it?'

There was a pause as they both remembered him, and despite her covers Ginny felt a chill crawl up her spine as she imagined Moody's limp body falling through the sky. 'Is Harry okay now?'  
Hermione nodded, her worried face golden from the lamplight. 'I think so. Well, he will be. You know what he's like, he's just so anxious about putting people in danger.'

'I wish you guys would tell me something,' said Ginny miserably. 'I know you can't, but I'm sick with worry.'  
Hermione looked uncomfortable. 'You know I would if I could. Harry too.'

'Yes, I know. And I suppose the reality would frighten me even more. But you don't have to be specific. I just want to know roughly where you'll be, so that I don't feel completely lost.'

There was an achingly long silence, before Hermione whispered, 'I… I just can't Ginny. I can't say anything.'

'When I'm of age,' she said, 'if you're still away, you have to make contact with me. You have to let me join. I'll find you.'

'It's not that simple, Ginny.'

Feeling furious and resentful, Ginny turned off the lamp and rolled over, clenching her teeth so hard she thought her jaw may break.

'I'm sorry,' Hermione was whispering desperately. 'You know I'm so sorry.'

Ginny ignored her. It was all the more painful because she knew Hermione was right. She felt shut out, excluded and ignored, but she knew that her anger was rooted in her own feelings of helplessness. A sudden resurgence of annoyance towards Fred leapt up through her chest as well. No doubt he'd thought it was hilarious to tell Hermione that she'd been trying to eavesdrop like a child, but he didn't understand the strength of her desire to know what was going on. Her eyes were stinging, and closed them tight to stop herself from crying. Before long, she drifted off into an unsettled sleep.

***

The next morning, Ginny's guilt led her to wake early and bring Hermione a cup of tea in bed. 'I think I'm just feeling a bit useless,' she said apologetically, curling at the foot of Hermione's bed. 'It's not your fault at all and I shouldn't have ignored you like that, but I just really want to help and I can't.'

Hermione blew gently on her tea and took a sip before saying, 'I understand. I really do. We're all sorry. It's just such an awful time and really what we could all do with is just being honest with each other and sharing the burden, but we just can't. You will know one day, though.'

Ginny nodded and drank from her own mug, finding herself unable to meet Hermione's eyes. 'I just don't know what I'm going to do at Hogwarts without you all,' she confessed.

'Without Harry, you mean,' teased Hermione.

'No, not just without Harry. Without you too, and even without Ron. Everything's going to be so different.'

Hermione glanced at the door and said in a low voice, 'It will be different. Especially for you. You'll need to be really careful.'

'But it's Hogwarts,' replied Ginny, nonplussed. 'I'm safer there than here.'

'No,' said Hermione urgently. 'I'm not sure how well our rumours will have worked and you will be a target.' Another suspicious glance to the door, and then Hermione leaned in close. 'You need to hide any loyalty to Harry.'

'But-'

'Shh! Listen! Ginny, you have to listen to me. The best way of keeping Harry safe is if you keep yourself out of danger. Think about Sirius. You-Know-Who knows what motivates Harry, he knows that Harry will come running if he thinks his loved ones are in danger. And Harry's already come to you before.'

The memory of the Chamber flickered through Ginny's mind. The water, the looming carved stone, the laughing face of Tom Riddle. 'I know,' she whispered back. 'But while he's here… I don't know when you're planning on leaving but I know that I don't have long.'

Hermione nodded. 'Just a few days, I think.' She hesitated. 'And I think… perhaps don't tell your brother… But I don't think it would be a disaster if you showed Harry some affection before you left.'

The atmosphere changed, and Ginny grinned mischievously. 'How much affection?'

'I couldn't possibly say,' said Hermione innocently.

They heard a creak on the corridor outside, and Ginny immediately launched into a loud discussion about Lavender Brown.

'Oh yes,' said Hermione in a gossipy tone. 'That's what I heard too, from Parvati, only-'

Molly opened the door suddenly, carrying a pile of clothes. Her initially suspicious expression immediately changed to a more cheerful smile. 'Oh, girls, I'm glad you're up already. Lots to do today! Ginny, I'm terribly sorry but I was hoping  
you'd keep an eye on the porridge for me. I'll put your clothes away.'

'Oh, sure.'

'Now, please,' said Molly when Ginny didn't move. 'As you're already dressed.'

Ginny threw an apologetic look at Hermione, who looked mildly panicked, and quickly left. She walked down the corridor a bit, then carefully and quietly sneaked back, dodging the creakiest floorboards.

'-Because I'm sure you can understand my concern,' Molly was saying, 'especially as you always were such a hardworking girl.'

'Yes,' Hermione was saying weakly, but Molly continued.

'And really, I hate to see anyone throwing away so many years of hard work like that, let alone someone my son is so attached to.'

Ginny nearly burst into fits of laughter. That really was very cruel, pulling out the Ron card.

'I-I understand, I really do, and-'

'But I don't think you do, dear!' Ginny heard bed springs squeak as her mother sat down. 'If you could only tell me, or another responsible adult, what the three of you are hoping to do, I'm sure we could figure out a way for you to do it around your studies. There doesn't need to be any rush after all, and I know how much you love school.'

There was a long silence from Hermione. 'I… I do, Mrs. Weasley, but…'

'Because I've never heard of anyone taking time out of school and then returning and getting the grades they deserve. After all these years, I'd hate to see you fail everything.'

 _Ouch._ Ginny could almost see Hermione's eyes welling with tears. And sure enough, sniffling accompanied Hermione's trembling voice as she said, 'really Mrs. Weasley, it will all be all right. We've been left clear instructions and I think it's important that we do what Dumbledore wanted. There's more important things than… than N.E. .'

Ginny shook her head as Hermione burst into tears. She'd heard enough. Her mother was very good at finding weak spots. She headed down to the kitchen to stir the porridge, finding Fred and George busying themselves with coffee.

'How're you feeling, George?'

'WHAT?' shouted George, grinning.

Ginny scowled. 'Very funny, I was only trying to be nice.' George shrugged, still smiling widely. He did look a little ridiculous, half bandaged up like a non-committal mummy. She turned to Fred. 'Why the bloody hell did you tattle to Hermione like that? You loser.'

He laughed. 'Well you wouldn't exchange notes with me.'

'Like you have any notes on what they're up to.'

'Don't I?' he said mysteriously, raising an eyebrow.

'What do you know?' she asked quickly. 'You have to tell me!'

'Tell you what?' said Ron, walking into the kitchen, Harry yawning behind him. 'Eugh, the porridge is all burned.'

'Oh, bollocks!' Ginny looked down at the pot. 'I'll just stir it in, Mum won't notice.'

'Yes she will,' said Ron. 'And anyway, I definitely will. Then I'll tell her.'

'She's got a big list of stuff for you all to do today,' said George happily. 'I'd help but I'm seriously injured.'

'Come off it, you're fine, you can help us out!' said Ron.

'Sorry, what? I can't hear you, I lost an ear.'

Ron's retort was lost as Molly came bustling into the kitchen, a somber looking Hermione following. 'No rest for the wicked,' she was saying. 'Everyone eat up, I've made a list of things to do. I want this house spotless, everyone's going to chip in. Except you George, dear, you need your rest.'

The next few days were packed with chores, all of which Ginny found quite pointless. In her opinion, if guests couldn't appreciate the Burrow with all its chaos and charm, they didn't deserve to be there. Even more frustrating than the chores was her inability to spy on Harry, Ron and Hermione. Molly was determined to keep them apart, and while she appreciated her mother's efforts, she had long given up trying to wheedle information out of Hermione, so it was a little annoying to finally get close enough to hear whispered conversations, only to have them broken up by her mother.

She did hear Harry and Ron having a minor squabble over when to leave, so she knew she only had until the wedding. She was caught in an odd limbo where she was rooting for both her mother and Harry at the same time, wanting him to stay yet also keen to defend his privacy. Vague ideas of being affectionate also came to her, usually at night. She imagined being able to get him alone, kissing him, tangling her hands in that messy hair, feeling his hips against her thighs…

Not that it was possible to get any privacy in the house at all. Even when Fred and George went back to their flat in Diagon Alley, the house was so active with cleaning and Order members coming in and out that she wondered if her mother even needed to interrupt anyone. Every now and then, she would be pulled aside by Fleur to be lectured on the plans for the wedding, or asked her opinion (almost always ignored) on ribbon colours, or even, on one occasion, exactly how to do her own makeup with a full demonstration.

'I 'ave noticed zat you sometimes go a leetle heavy on the blush, so we must be careful zat on the day zis is not the case.'

'I don't wear blush,' said Ginny. 'That's just my face sometimes when I'm embarrassed. Pale skin and all that.'

Fleur simply looked confused, but thankfully Ginny was spared more insults as Molly came in, looking rather frantic and stressed. 'Ginny, go and lay the table, I just don't know what else I can do,' he huffed, pulling out her list. 'HARRY!' she shouted irritably over her shoulder, and Ginny tried not to giggle – she was not sure Harry had ever been treated as one of the family quite like this. 'Harry, stop nattering with Ron and help Ginny with the table. Ron, come with me, I need someone tall…'

Harry came in, looking a little bemused, and obediently began taking cutlery from the draw. Ginny, followed him with an armful of plates. 'What's got Mum in such a flap?' she asked him.

'She, er… She found Hermione with a load of Ron's clothes.'

'Oh?' said Ginny, raising an eyebrow. 'That sounds rather scandalous.'

He grinned. 'Much less exciting, I'm afraid, she was just packing.'

'That's a pity, I was hoping we would all be able to have a good gossip.'

'Well, you know, if we get any chance to actually talk,' said Harry, shrugging. Ginny couldn't help but notice a tone of annoyance.

'I think Mum thinks that if she can stop the three of you getting together and planning, then she'll be able to delay you leaving,' she said in an undertone.

'And then what does she think's going to happen? Someone else might kill off Voldemort while she's holding us here making vol-au-vents?'

Hearing the very thing she had suspected in such a casual tone shook Ginny to her core. The thought of such a monumental task frightened her – it was something people had only believed Dumbledore was capable of. Harry seemed to notice his mistake as soon as he said it, and his face was suddenly very still.

'So it's true? That's what you're trying to do?'

'I- not – I was joking,' said Harry unconvincingly.

It was finally confirmation of the information that she'd been desperate for, but it was perhaps the worst triumph she could have imagined. She stared at him and thought of those sunlit days by the lake, which now seemed years ago in the face of this crushing future he had hinted at. She wanted to run to him, to hold him and to sob into his shoulder, to lock him away somewhere where nobody would find them.

The door opened and they both started, fumbling with their cutlery and plates as her dad, eldest brother and Kingsley walked in. 'I just don't see how we can prove anything though,' her dad was saying to Kingsley. 'You're probably right but a hunch just isn't enough, especially as Pius has always been a bit odd…'

Ginny spent the dinner in silence, despite the crowd. Harry was next to her, close enough that she felt she would go mad if she didn't touch him, but he was carefully avoiding her. She hadn't felt so broken-hearted since Dumbledore's funeral, and though there was conversation all around her, all she could do was dully think of the horrors that awaited Harry, her brother and her best friend. She looked around the table, and was struck by how out of all of them there, she was the only one unable to play a part. She looked sideways at Harry. He was speaking heatedly with her father, she could see him clenching his knife. What possible help could she give him? She was nothing but a burden to him.


	3. Chapter 3

Ginny was sat sorting wedding presents when Hermione shuffled in, looking bashful and followed by a scowling Molly. Molly had realized that the three dropouts, as she now thought of them, had snuck off, and from the slightly muffled yet raised voices Ginny had heard through the ceiling, it was fair to assume that she had caught them talking.

'You can help Ginny, she'll explain the pile system,' Molly told Hermione coolly. Hermione blushed and nodded, looking carefully at her feet.

There was a slight silence as Molly left, and after she was safely out of earshot, Hermione groaned. 'Oh, I hate this, I feel so guilty!'

'No sympathy from me,' replied Ginny cheerfully. 'Not unless you include me in all your plotting.'

Hermione gave her an awkward look of sympathy and picked up a present. 'Well obviously I can't tell you everything we were saying, but your brother is in denial about Moody's death and Harry tried to convince us into letting him go off on his own.'

Ginny snorted. 'Of course he did.' She glanced at the present Hermione was holding; a large, powder blue box. 'Is that the one from the Bletchly's? Put it by Mum's dresser. If they're not a close relative or very good friend they go over there. French by the dirty laundry.'

Hermione frowned. 'I don't know who any of these people are.'

'Guess,' shrugged Ginny. 'It's a pointless task anyway, Mum's just making stuff up as she goes along now. Anyway, what was his reason for trying to go solo? Just being noble?'

'I imagine so, we didn't really give him a chance to explain his though process.'

'I should have tried that,' Ginny said regrettably. 'What have you got him for his birthday?'

'Sneakoscope. May as well be practical,' she said grimly. 'Hopefully it won't be going off non-stop. You?'

'Well… I wanted to ask your advice on that actually.'

'Oh?' Hermione arched an eyebrow, carefully putting down another present. 'Planning something?'

'Yes, but I'll need your help.' Ginny glanced at the door to check for any brothers or, heaven forbid, her mother. 'Remember how I was saying we used to get quite… close… by the lake? But never all the way.'

Hermione smirked. 'You did mention that, yes.'

Ginny was feeling oddly flustered. There had never been any awkwardness in these sort of candid discussions with Hermione before, but now she felt an anxiety. 'Well, I know it's stupid but who knows how long you'll be gone and what you'll be able to take with you, so I couldn't really get him a proper present, not anything meaningful anyway-' She was babbling, she knew it, but her hazy plans and nervous thoughts came tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them. '-and I keep thinking about really stupid scenarios where he bumps into someone beautiful and capable of having a part in this ridiculous war, and I want to make sure that I give him a meaningful, happy memory that's definitely a… you know, a first.'

There was a silence. Then Hermione gave a cautious, hesitant look. 'You know there'll be a lot of people in the house…'

'Yes, I know, that's why I need your help. I need you to distract Ron. Maybe you'll be able to initiate a plan of your own,' she said pointedly.

Hermione blushed and looked down at the presents. 'I can try,' she said softly. 'But…'

'I know it probably won't happen,' Ginny said impatiently. 'But I'll be so furious with myself if I don't even try to do something mildly romantic before he goes. Just to make sure he misses me and has a reason to come back.'

Hermione smiled at her; a kind of sad amusement playing across her face. 'Trust me, he misses you a lot.' She moved over and sat next to Ginny. 'Honestly, it sounds a bit soppy and I can just imagine how embarrassed he'd be if he knew I was saying this, but last term was the happiest I've seen him in a long time.'

'That wasn't just because of me though,' said Ginny seriously. 'I mean, he was having these private lessons with Dumbledore and he never told me what they were doing, but I think they made him feel like he was actually doing something, and being productive, you know?'

Hermione's expression was of perfect neutrality. 'Hmm. Yes, maybe. I don't think they were particularly reassuring though.'

Ginny waited, but frustratingly Hermione offered no more hints. 'Anyway, if I get a chance, will you take Ron away somewhere?'

Hermione considered briefly. 'Yes, I suppose so.' She giggled. 'The boys would be awfully shocked, wouldn't they? If they knew we talked like this?'

Ginny was about to answer, but the sound of Ron's laughter floated from the hall. She froze, praying that they hadn't been overheard. Hermione whipped round, looking horrified, but Ron and Harry entered looking perfectly un-shocked, although their faces considerably fell as they saw the huge pile of presents.

Ron swore. 'Why do you get so much crap just for getting married? Do we even know half these people?'

'You two took your time getting down here!' said Hermione. 'Mrs. Weasley sent all of us down to do this, where have you been?'

Harry gave a non-committal shrug and Ron glared at the presents. 'You're right, we should have rushed down like you so we could get cracking on all this fun. Why's mum so angry anyway? We heard her shouting earlier and she looked like she was ready to kill us when she came in.'

'She caught dad feeding some gnomes, and she only just got rid of them. There'll be all over the garden just in time for our guests tomorrow,' replied Ginny happily.

Indeed, the next morning when the Delacours arrived, Ginny could spot the mischevious little creatures dotting the garden, peering out from behind flower pots and scampering through the bushes – though not quite brave enough to show themselves openly on the pristine lawn.

'What on earth is Dad doing?' whispered George as they watched him approach with the Delacours. 'Is… is that supposed to be laughter? From a normal human?'

'They're French, they'll put it down to English quirkiness,' said Fred, although he sounded a little unconvinced.

Arthur did seem incredibly nervous, and although Fleur's mother was admittedly a little intimidating with her extraordinary beauty, Monsieur Delacour was rather comical in comparison; plump and odd looking with a dark little beard, he spoke dramatically and with flourish. Quite the opposite to Madam Delacour's effortless elegance.

'No wonder Fleur was happy to lower her standards to Bill,' sniggered Fred quietly. 'It must run in the family to let blokes punch well above their weight.'

Feeling oddly defensive, Ginny threw Fred a dirty look. 'Shh!' Her parents and the Delacours continued to gush over each other, so she felt safe in assuming that nobody had heard Fred's rude comment.

'Touchy,' he whispered to her. 'Do you like them all of a sudden?'

'Be quiet. Give them a chance, they might not be as bad as her.'

'No? The little one has her eyes on your boyfriend.'

Ginny narrowed her eyes and looked back at the family. Sure enough, there was Gabrielle, batting her eyelashes and smiling serenely at Harry. Ginny cleared her throat loudly, a little irritated, before reminding herself that the girl was only eleven. Where had this territorial protectiveness of Harry come from? She had never been a particularly jealous type, even when Harry had been dating Cho. She did not like herself this way, and felt rather subdued as they ushered their guests into the house.

'Are you ok?' Harry asked her casually a few hours later. 'You're very quiet today.'

'Concerned about me?' she teased lightly.

'Just wondering how you're feeling about all these guests,' he said, grinning.

'Oh, they're all right really, aren't they? Even if we are all packed in. What are you doing anyway, I thought you were "feeding the chickens"?'

He smiled slyly. 'Your mum really is very good at keeping us on our toes.' She laughed, but his face suddenly fell. 'I feel very guilty,' he said quietly, 'about what a nuisance me being here is. All the security and stuff.'

Ginny raised an eyebrow. 'Oh, don't be silly. We'd all rather be a little inconvenienced than-' The reality that he would be gone soon hit her very suddenly. From his pained expression, she was sure he was thinking about it too. An awkward silence rose between them.

'I'm sorry,' he said. 'For everything.'

She looked up at him, meeting his deep green eyes with her own. The prospect of him being gone, maybe hundreds or even thousands of miles away, made her feel cold inside. But she refused to break. She was stronger than that. 'Everything will be fine,' she said firmly. 'I can hold down the fort at Hogwarts until you get back. I reckon I'll even get Quidditch Captain with you out of the way.'

He laughed. 'Don't get too cocky, Miss Weasley!'

'You know I'm better than you. You're only leaving because I might have stolen it off you anyway,' she said with a wink.

The tone considerably lighter, she was feeling far more relaxed by dinner. The Delacours were admittedly charming guests, and she found herself very impressed by their polite attitude and ability to take the chaos of a busy Burrow in their stride. Gabrielle's staring and following of Harry now felt less irritating and more hilarious, though she quickly stopped smirking about it when Fred and George began humming 'His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad…'

Ron and Hermione were talking animatedly; Hermione seemed completely engrossed in the conversation and a delighted smile played across her lips.

'Are they…?' she asked Harry, who was sitting opposite her.

He rolled his eyes and shrugged playfully. 'Not yet.'

'Hey, Harry,' said George, with an odd smile at Ginny. 'Fred heard the three of you chatting the other day.'

Harry froze, looking intently at George. 'Did he?'

'Mmhmm. Well, that's not fair. It wasn't the three of them, was it, Fred?'

'No,' said Fred cheerfully. 'Just Ron and Hermione, the day before you arrived, but it was about the three of you. We've been trying to swap notes with Ginny, but she's very loyal.'

'Loyal or just doesn't have information to exchange.' Ginny threw a scowl at George.

'If you have something to threaten me with, come out and say it,' said Harry lightly.

'Threaten you? Threaten you? Us?' Fred sounded scandalized. 'The very nerve! We're just letting you know that your secret is safe with us.'

Harry looked like he was unsure whether to be scared or amused.

'If they actually had something to say, they would have said it,' said Ginny.

'We are honorable gentlemen and we do not brandish the secrets of Harry Potter willy-nilly,' said George proudly.

'No, you just keep him on edge hinting about it,' said Harry, who had now apparently settled on amused.

'Ah, Harry, we are going to miss you,' said Fred. 'You're harder to wind up than everyone else. It's a good challenge.'

Harry was still smiling, though he now looked a little uncomfortable. 'I'll send postcards,' he joked.

'Excellent,' said George. 'A lovely picture of a Death Eater lair with "wish you were here" on it. That will calm Mum down.'

Harry gave a rather forced laugh and turned to talk to Charlie. Perhaps the topic was too serious to joke about, or possibly he couldn't think of a witty retort. But Ginny wondered whether he too had noticed Fred and George's calculated expressions, carefully watching for his reaction.

'You do know something. Don't you?' she whispered.

Fred looked down the table at her, uncharacteristically serious. He glanced at George, who looked down at his plate. 'Let's hope not,' he said quietly.


	4. Chapter 4

The morning of Harry's birthday, Ginny woke earlier than the rest of the house. The sun was still low in the sky, giving a cool golden glow across the garden, catching the pearly white marquee in an attractive way. The house was mostly silent " she thought she could possibly hear the delicate clinking of dishes from the kitchen, suggesting her mother was up and about, but for now she relished in the quiet.

She vaguely wondered if she was going mad. The sheer uncertainty of what would happen to her family, friends, and Harry played constantly on her mind, creating an odd anxiety where she could feel determined and resilient one moment, to fighting back hysterical tears the next. Often, she had slipped away unnoticed by her family to her room, where she would sit on the floor, back against the wall, taking deep, shuddering breaths as she fought back the desire to wail and sob. Then, as quickly as the panicked episodes came, they would go, leaving her ready to bounce back into banter with the twins, sly grins at Harry, and easy complaining about the Delacours with Ron.

Today, however, she held a steely sense of purpose. She looked over at the camp bed where Hermione was beginning to stir, hoping that she would manage to distract Ron for long enough. She did not feel nervous about the plan, but she was concerned that Ron, or another member of her nuisance family, would get in the way. In a home this busy, there really wasn't much chance of privacy.

'M-morning, Ginny,' yawned Hermione, blinking heavily as she sat up. 'You're up early.'

'Morning,' replied Ginny cheerfully. She picked up a hairbrush and started pulling it through her long ginger hair. 'It's lovely weather out, I think it'll be a scorcher today.'

'Well that's good for Harry's dinner tonight I suppose,' said Hermione, rubbing her eyes and still looking half asleep. I'd better get in the shower while it's free.' She glanced up as they heard the faint sound of Ron and Harry laughing upstairs. 'I didn't think they'd be up this early. I'll take my clothes and his present so I can go straight down… I expect you'll want to tidy your room up,' she said meaningfully, smiling at Ginny.

'What?' said Ginny blankly. She looked around her room; dirty clothes, books and a battered looking Quaffle were strewn across the floor, with only a small halo of orderliness around Hermione's bed. It was not the most romantic of settings. 'Oh… yeah, good idea.'

Hermione gathered her things and gave a wink as she left the room. Ginny hastily scooped up the various items littering her bedroom floor, pressing them uneasily into an already cluttered cupboard. She had to shut the door quickly before things fell out, but otherwise it seemed a neat solution to the problem.

She could hear the rumble of footsteps as Harry and Ron headed downstairs to the kitchen. She froze, holding the corner of her duvet ready to make the bed.

'-suppose you'd know a lot about wandwork, Ron…' came Harry's teasing voice.

'I dunno, it's mostly been solo practice to be honest,' Ron sniggered. 'Haven't got round to proper dueling.' She heard Harry snorting with laughter as their voices faded, and she shook her head, wondering what on earth they were talking about. She was now beginning to feel the flutter of nerves, but she likened the sensation to the excitement just before a Quidditch match.

Hermione's camp bed could be collapsed and tidily slid under her own bed, immediately making her small room feel a little less cluttered. She now found herself biting back a smile; it was remarkable what a difference it had made. She opened he window, allowing the pleasant summer breeze to sweep through, and cleared the mess of quills, ink pots and old copies of _The Quibbler_ off her desk. Feeling slightly embarrassed, even though she was the only one there, she opened her wardrobe to view the full length mirror inside and quickly slipped off her dress. She had carefully found her nicest matching underwear that morning, and she had to say she was rather pleased with the result. Feeling a rush of confidence, she redressed and surveyed her room one more time before standing in wait by the door. She heard them ascending the stairs, and she practically tingled with anticipation.

'-waiting for the rest of your pants to come out the wash, Ron…'

'Excuse me?! What-'

Ginny pulled open the door. 'Harry, will you come in here a moment?'

Harry looked bewildered, and a little nervous, but Ginny saw Hermione take Ron by the elbow and, with a small stairs, guide him upstairs. Harry followed her into her room, looking around curiously. Thank Merlin Hermione told her to tidy up.

She took a deep breath and looked up at him. 'Happy seventeenth.'

He didn't meet her eyes. 'Yeah… thanks.'

She stared at him intently. She needed to memorise every inch of him. She studied the exact way his hair stuck up, the precise deep green hue of his eyes, the particulars of his expression.

'Nice view,' he said weakly, gesturing to her window. It was a poor attempt at a distraction, and she was not going to let it work.

'I couldn't think what to get you.'

'You didn't have to get me anything,' he said honestly.

'I didn't know what would be useful. Nothing too big, because you wouldn't be able to take it with you.' He finally looked at her. The intensity in his eyes gave her courage, and she took a step closer. 'So then I thought, I'd like you to have something to remember me by, you know, if you meet some Veela when you're off doing whatever you're doing.

'I think dating opportunities are going to be pretty thin on the ground, to be honest,' he said with a small smile.

They were very close now. He had started, perhaps unconsciously, to tilt his head. 'There's the silver lining I've been waiting for,' she whispered.

She kissed him, and he was kissing her back. Nothing else mattered to her, she thought her heart might burst from the joy of it. He tangled a hand in her hair, and the other placed firmly at the small of her back, it was perfect ecstasy. She began to pull him towards the bed, her hands trembling, feeling slightly dizzy-

There was a sudden bang, and they leapt apart, Ginny's heart thudding fiercely under her chest. At the door stood Ron, looking furious. 'Oh, sorry,' he said coldly.

'Ron!' Hermione was rushing after him, looking desperate. She threw an apologetic and anxious look at Ginny. It was as though a cold bucket of water had been thrown over them; she felt both humiliated and heartbroken, and had never wanted to punch her brother more.

There was an awful silence as she tried to collect her emotions. 'Well, happy birthday anyway, Harry,' she said quietly. There was a physical ache in her chest, and a warm prickling sensation in the corner of her eyes. She turned away, screwing up her face to stop herself from losing control.

'I'll see you later,' he said hollowly. They left.

She waited until she was sure they had all gone downstairs, breathing heavily, eyes closed. Then she allowed herself a choked sob, furious at the unfairness of it all. She was crying now, yet as much as she wiped away the tears they continued to relentlessly come. She felt ridiculous, it was such a silly thing to be upset about, amidst everything going wrong, but this may have been her last chance to truly be with Harry.

She heard raised voices from the garden, and she shuffled over to stand by the window. Unseen, yet ale to listen.

'I'm not messing her around,' Harry was saying. His voice was strained and defensive.

She could hear Hermione trying to interrupt, but her brother continued with an irritating authority. 'She was really cut up when you ended it-'

'So was I,' retorted Harry, with bitterness. 'You know why I stopped it, and it wasn't because I wanted to.' A tiny glimmer of hope was sparked in the pit of Ginny's stomach. She had known, really, that he hadn't wanted to end it, but it was still reassuring to hear him say the words out loud, to others.

'Yeah, but you go snogging her now and she's just going to get her hopes up again-' Well, how embarrassing. Her glimmer of hope was snuffed out immediately. Ron was just awful. She couldn't wait for him to leave.

'She's not an idiot, she knows it can't happen, she's not expecting us to- to end up married or…' There was a shakiness in Harry's voice, some kind of emotional desperation. In that moment Ginny realized that she did want that future… some part of her had always yearned for that with him. It was true that she had never expected it, certainly not now at any rate, but she had at times allowed herself to daydream, even to hope for it. But that future no longer existed, and instead there was nothing but crushing uncertainty and a dark unknown.

'If you keep groping her every chance you get-'

'It won't happen again. OK?' Even Ginny felt a little shaken at the sudden harshness of Harry's voice. She wished she could see Ron's face.

'Right then… well, that's… yeah…'

'Stupid git,' muttered Ginny, turning away from the window. She was tired of it; tired of being treated like a silly little girl who needed protecting all the time. She knew they were right really, she understood all the reasons and could accept the reality of the situation. It did not, however, stop her from feeling frustrated and resentful, even patronized. She was now surrounded by people with major roles to play and the chance to take action, yet she could be nothing more than a bystander. It was hard to take courage from others when they could do things she could not, and she was increasingly feeling trapped and afraid.

She needed to calm down. She would not allow herself to spiral like this. She brushed herself off, flicking through an edition of _The Quibbler_ until she felt her resilience return. Now she was ready to rejoin the rest of the house to greet Charlie and enjoy Harry's birthday tea. But she would give no indication that anything had happened that morning.


	5. Chapter 5

'Stand _still_ , Ginny.'

'I can barely breathe in this stupid thing,' Ginny snapped back, tugging her dress inelegantly at the armpits. 'Strapless dresses are not worth the trouble.'

Her mother threw a scolding look up at her, still fiddling with the hemline. 'You really should have sorted this out before. '

Ginny had to admit that she was right. The morning of the wedding was perhaps not the best time to mention that she was tripping over the hem. The house was a flurry of activity, and she could barely hear herself think over the frantic French chatter and her mother's increasingly loud commands.

Bill's head tentatively appeared at the doorway. 'Er, Mum-'

Molly spun round, her face instantly red with rage. 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? GET OUT!'

He paled a little. 'We just-just need the poly-'

'I'LL SORT THE POLYJUICE, JUST GET OUT BEFORE YOU SEE HER!'

'Happiest day of his life,' muttered Ginny sarcastically. Thankfully, Molly didn't hear, and Ginny assumed that she had finished with her dress as she stomped off.

A tugging on her wrist made her look down into Gabrielle's large blue eyes. 'You must come for ze 'air styling now,' she said. Her own hair was swept into an elegant chignon. 'Everything ees running very late,' she continued with narrowed eyes.

Ginny briefly thought about pointing out that it was not her fault, but she supposed she hadn't exactly been very helpful. Gabrielle held her hand as she guided her through to Percy's old room, where Fleur, Hermione and Madame Delacour were getting ready. 'It will be wonderful to 'ave you as a big seester,' said Gabrielle sweetly.

'Er, yes, it will,' said Ginny unconvincingly. 'I've never had a younger sibling.'

'I am not so young,' said Gabrielle crossly. 'Maman says I am very mature for my age.'

 _You are literally holding my hand, you complete child._

'Your dress looks lovely, Ginny,' said Hermione cheerfully. Ginny forced a smile at her, unsure why she was in such a foul mood. She had an odd sense of jealousy, and she kept thinking about Ron and Harry arguing in the garden the day before...

Percy's old furniture had been pushed back to the edges of the room, with the exception of his desk which had been hastily transformed into a dresser with a large, shabby mirror. Small stools and chairs created odd little obstacles around the room, piled up with various beauty implements and the empty boxes that had been holding the bridesmaid dresses.

Fleur was sitting, the vision of perfection, at the dresser, calmly attending to her makeup. Madame Delacour was swiftly and expertly styling her hair, not even fumbling or slowing down as she looked at Ginny. 'Ah, you look splendid, leetle one. Just sit down and I will 'elp in a moment.'

Ginny nodded and sat next to Hermione, who was fiddling with the delicate straps of her heels. 'All very hectic, isn't it?'

'Yes, but it's so exciting,' replied Hermione brightly. 'I love weddings.'

Ginny felt her hair being sharply tugged back, and held back a wince. 'Oh, you 'ave such vibrant colour,' crooned Madame Delacour. Feeling slightly warmed, Ginny politely thanked her and looked back at Hermione out the corner of her eye.

'Yeah, it's a shame we couldn't be at Tonks and Lupin's. I bet it was really cute. Why did they rush off last night?'

'Something about the Ministry being anti… you know,' said Hermione sadly. 'I think Harry was a bit disappointed, but he understood of course. Remus looked awfully stressed though.'

'Who isn't?' said Ginny, wincing as Madame Delacour inserted various hair pins. 'Anyway, Remus always looks stressed, poor bloke.'

'Yes…' agreed Hermione vaguely. 'He's been through an awful lot, I was thinking about it the other day… I'd better get downstairs, actually. Make sure the boys are doing their jobs.'

As Hermione was leaving the room, a shrill, screeching voice carried up the stairs.

'What on earth iz zat?' asked a shocked Madame Delacour, pausing the threading of delicate pearls in Ginny's chignon.

'Oh, Merlin,' muttered Ginny. 'It's-'

'Oh dear! Is this the Muggle-born?' Muriel was demanding, clutching Hermione's shoulder with her claw-like hand. 'What terrible posture you have, not to mention those horribly skinny ankles. Move out of my way, I am a hundred and seven and I don't have time for chit-chat.'

With an alarmed glance back at Ginny, Hermione was pushed out of the room and Muriel marched through like a determined vulture, making a beeline for Fleur.

Fleur herself looked rather frightened, and Ginny could not blame her. Muriel launched into highly detailed and very strict instructions of care for her tiara, all while running a critical eye over the bride. For the first time, Ginny found herself feeling protective of the woman about to become her sister in-law, and was ready to leap to her defense. Muriel apparently could not find fault in the half-Veela, so instead rounded on Ginny.

'Why do you have so many freckles? You should at least make an effort to cover it up with your makeup, you look like you have Spattergroit.'

'I theenk she looks beautiful,' said Madam Delacour coolly, and Ginny felt a rush of affection.

'Hmmph,' snorted Muriel, who clearly thought very little of the opinions of the French. She turned back to Fleur, who was still holding the tiara in its box as though she was worried it would shatter in her hands. 'Well, put it on! It's there to be worn, it's very important!'

If Ginny had thought that Fleur looked perfect before, it was nothing to what she looked like now. She even seemed to be emitting a silvery glow, the delicate tiara twinkling against her silvery hair. Ginny was very sure that she was attracted to boys, Harry specifically, but even she would have quite happily accepted a kiss from Fleur now.

'You look stunning,' she told her honestly.

Fleur beamed. 'It iz nearly time.'

'Yes, well, don't let the ceremony go on for too long,' barked Muriel as she stalked out of the room. 'I'm too old to sit through dull things like that.'

'Just ignore that crazy old bat,' said Ginny gently as Muriel left, suddenly feeling far happier. 'She's our least favourite relative.'

'She iz very unusual,' remarked Gabrielle. 'I 'ope she is not too involved in your new family, Fleur.'

Ginny snorted with laughter, but Madam Delcaour launched into scolding French. Ginny took the moment to sneak a glance at herself in the mirror.

She had never been a vain girl. She liked to feel attractive, of course, but growing up with so many brothers had left her more comfortable with scruffy ponytails and mud-splattered boots than sleek curls and high heels. But in the mirror she looked at a transformed version of herself; better than her attempt at scrubbing up for the Yule Ball. An excited feeling bubbled in her chest, and she hoped that Harry would notice how the dress clung to her.

Before long, she found herself walking elegantly behind Fleur to the sound of wedding music. A little nervous of standing on Fleur's train, she mostly kept her eyes down, but did make sure to look around and appreciate the surroundings. The marquee really did look beautiful; she could hardly believe that they were just yards from her chaotic and typically messy home. Ahead, she could see Bill, tentatively turning his head to look at his bride, an expression of pure bliss across his face. She hoped one day Harry would look at her in the same way, imagining how he would look in Bill's place.

She searched the crowd for his messy black hair, feeling briefly disappointed before remembering that he would be in disguise as 'Cousin Barny'. She spotted a ginger boy sitting next to Hermione just before she got to the end of the aisle. He was watching her with a longing expression. It had to be him. Or at least a mildly creepy distant cousin.

The fluffy-haired little wizard ordaining the ceremony began to speak, but even though he was very close to Ginny, his words were drowned out by Aunt Muriel's loud whisper, commenting on the tiara. Ginny heard her scandalized remark on the cut of her dress, and grinned. It was true that it did rather show off her assets. She turned and gave a quick wink to Harry, making sure he'd notice.

When she turned back, she could see Charlie, Bill's best man, smirking at her, and giving a slight shake of his head. She subtly stuck her tongue out at him, hoping her mum couldn't see.

It was a lovely ceremony. Perhaps because she had been so emotionally turbulent and grumpy lately, but Ginny had not appreciated just how in love her big brother was. She had viewed the wedding as an unnecessary and irritating distraction, an indulgence in Fleur's vanity, but in reality she was struck by how genuinely happy it made them, and indeed everyone there. It was a welcome oasis of peace during a stressful time, and as Fleur smiled brilliantly at Bill, she could understand how important it was to find strength from others through moments like this.

'….declare you bonded for life.'

A shower of sparks fell down on them like rain, and the crowd burst into joyous applause as Fleur and Bill kissed. The Weasley family had grown by one, and Ginny couldn't help but grin so widely her jaw ached.

The golden dance floor appeared and the marquee turned smoothly into a stunning canopy supported by gleaming golden poles. 'Let's grab a seat, Sis,' Charlie whispered to her. He linked arms with her and guided her over to one of the white-clothed tables that had appeared.

'I want to dance!' protested Ginny, laughing.

'You have to leave the first dance for the important people,' he reminded her. 'And I think you're very important, but nobody else agrees, sorry.'

She smacked him playfully on the arm as they sat. 'You're an important person. Aren't you going to have to make a speech?'

'Not til later,' he said, casually waving a hand. 'I still have plenty of time to write it.'

'Charlie!'

'It'll be fine!' he insisted. 'Everyone will be too pissed to remember, and half the people here barely speak English anyway.'

The music had started, and Bill and Fleur took to the dance floor to enthusiastic applause. They were both incredibly graceful; no doubt the rest of her brothers were terrible at dancing, but Bill had always had an effortless cool about him. Her parents soon followed, gazing soppily into each others eyes.

'Oh, bloody hell,' Ginny said. 'Look at them, they're like teenagers.'

'You can talk!' chuckled Charlie. 'Giving Harry a saucy wink mid-ceremony. The poor bloke, how on earth is he supposed to go and save the world with you distracting him like that? He was in a daze the whole time, I saw him.'

'Shut up,' said Ginny, though she couldn't help but feel smug. 'He was probably thinking about the weird inheritance from last night.' She looked over at him. 'See? He looks all serious and moody. He's definitely talking about Chosen One stuff. Swords and Snitches and mysterious old runes.'

'Nah,' said Charlie. 'He's talking to Krum. They're probably talking about Quidditch, or Hermione and Ron and how they're still pretending that they're not horny for each other.'

Ginny rolled her eyes. 'What would you know about that? You've been off playing with dragons.'

'I have to read Mum's letters, don't I?'

'I doubt Mum would be as crude as you.'

'Well, no,' he said, eyes glinting mischievously. 'But I can read between the lines. Anyway, how about that dance?'

He took her by the hand and pulled her onto the dance floor. Ginny loved dancing. She was a high-energy person and relished any chance to get her heart pumping. There was something about dancing that just made her so wonderfully happy. Perhaps later, after he'd had a few drinks, she could persuade Harry…

'My turn!' said Fred gleefully, cutting in. 'I have to look like a caring older brother so that the Veelas think I'm sensitive.'

Fred's dancing was certainly enthusiastic, but he didn't so much guide her as throw her around the dance floor. She was laughing so much that her stomach hurt, and Fred was spinning her, alternating between grinning at her and sending smoldering gazes at giggling French girls. He pulled her close, whispering in her ear. 'Looney Lovegood having fun at two o'clock.'

She looked over to see Luna dancing bizarrely alone, waving her arms erratically above her head. 'Fantastic,' she said breathlessly. 'I have to go join her.'

'Definitely,' agreed Fred cheerfully. 'She's a bright one – recognized our Cousin Barny just by his expression,' he added with a wink.

Ginny burst out laughing. 'Of course she did. Amazing.' She hurried over, eager to join, dodging a wincing Lupin as Tonks stood on his feet attempting a passionate foxtrot.

'Ginny!' Luna's face lit up like the sun, and she pulled Ginny into a warm embrace, before resuming her odd dancing. Ginny copied with enthusiasm.

'It's wonderful to see you, Luna,' she said, twirling underneath Luna's arm. 'I'm so glad you could make it.'

'That's nice of you to say,' replied Luna dreamily. 'Everyone seems to be having a lovely time… I think Harry's got a bad case of the Nargles though, he keeps staring at you.'

'Shh!' giggled Ginny. 'We're not meant to be saying his name.'

'Oh, I thought that was just something he was trying. One of your gnomes bit me, you know.'

'Are you okay?' Ginny asked, rather alarmed.

'Yes, quite excited, actually,' she assured her, sounding excited. 'That man next to Harry just pointed at you. The one with the nose.'

Ginny spun Luna around so she could see where she had been looking. Harry was talking irritably to Krum, who soon drained his goblet and got to his feet.

'Krum?' she said, puzzled. 'You must have been mistaken, he–'

'Mind if I cut in?' A grinning Lee Jordan had appeared at her side, offering a hand in an overly chivalrous manner.

'You're Lee Jordan,' said Luna.

He looked at her, slightly confused. 'Er, yes. I'm sorry, I'm not sure we've met.'

'No, but I did some Quidditch commentating last year. People didn't like me as much as they liked you. I'll see you later, Ginny, I'm going to find someone else to talk to.' She gave a smile as she walked off, but Lee looked horrified.

'Did… did I do something wrong? Did I upset her?'

Ginny laughed and took his hand. 'No, honestly, don't worry. She's just a bit… Well, she's one of a kind.'

They began to dance, Lee's natural rhythm and effortless leadership making her feel far more graceful than Fred and Luna had. 'I'm trying to annoy your brothers,' he confessed with a cheeky smile. 'They tried to persuade me into asking a Veela to dance, but I said I could go braver than that and whisk their sister off her feet. I'm not sure how protective they are over you anyway.'

'Lee!' She was rather shocked, but she could see he was teasing, and her heart was still overjoyed with the knowledge that Harry had been watching her. 'It's not Fred and George you have to worry about, it's my mother.'

'I heard that I should be more worried about the Chosen One himself,' Lee retorted with a wink.

Ginny dropped his hands immediately, standing frozen in the middle of the dancefloor. 'Where did you hear that?' she asked bluntly, only just loud enough for Lee to hear her above the band.

'I just heard that you were seeing each other,' he replied, looking bewildered. 'Isn't it true? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to… Merlin, I'm offending everyone tonight, aren't I?'

'No, sorry,' Ginny said, taking his hands and beginning to dance again. 'I shouldn't have snapped.' She quickly remembered the agreed story that she had agreed upon with Hermione. 'It's just a bit hard, he was rather cruel, really. Dumped me at the funeral. I was just a bit of fun for him.'

'Bloody hell,' said Lee, eyes widening. 'I never would have guessed he… did he really?'

'Well, he's not here, is he?' said Ginny coldly, feeling a wave of guilt for talking of Harry in this way. 'He's not associated with us anymore.'

A flash of understanding and disbelief crossed Lee's face. 'Right… of course not. I'll make sure to let Katie know she got her wires crossed.'

'Please do,' said Ginny politely. Inside, she felt like arguing, telling him everything, clearing Harry's name and declaring her undying- _No. Not that._

'And hey,' he said, suddenly shifty. 'If you ever need a shoulder to cry on…'

She smacked him playfully on the shoulder. 'Stop it, you're terrible. My poor brothers.'

He gave a wink, but they were interrupted by clinking glass and the calls to cut the cake. She went over to the long table swiftly, her broad smile returning as she saw Bill and Fleur giggling and holding each other in front of a glorious three-tired white cake, laced with delicate gold piping. She squeezed her way through the crowd, fully prepared to use her elbows to get a decent view. Tonks and Lupin were nearby, laughing vibrantly, their arms linked. Ginny grinned at them and Tonks winked back, raising a glass of orange juice towards her with a sly smile.

Her mother was there, pink in the cheeks and looking very merry, and she raised her champagne glass as Bill and Fleur held the ornate knife together. 'To the happy couple!' Molly shouted.

'The happy couple!' the crowd chorused back, and as the bride and groom cut, the two detailed phoenix models that topped the cake took flight to tremendous applause. The evening continued, hurtling into uncontrolled excitement and colourful celebration.

Ginny seized the moment to bound over to Lupin and Tonks, who embraced her warmly, spilling a little juice on Ginny's arm. 'Wotcher – oop! Sorry, Ginny!'

'Don't worry,' giggled Ginny. 'It's wonderful to see you, you look great! Blonde's a good look for you.'

Tonks was certainly glowing. With her hair an elegant, wavy blonde down to her waist she looked positively angelic. Lupin, on the other hand, looked miserable. His jaw was tense and his eyes were flicking suspiciously around the crowd; he seemed to have very little interest in joining the conversation.

'You looked fab up there too, Ginny,' said Tonks brightly, apparently unconcerned with her husband's mood. 'Great dress. Almost made me regret eloping.' She gave a wink to Remus, who responded with a strained smile.

'It was a lovely ceremony,' he said quietly.

'We were talking about you guys – me and Hermione. About how we wished we could have been there. After the war you should renew your vows, and let me be a bridesmaid.'

'Ooh, we could do!' laughed Tonks. 'You know, apart from ours this was the first wedding I've ever been to. The Tonks's were never really invited to family weddings, what with the whole blood-traitor thing. What about you, Remus?'

Remus looked blank for a moment, then heavily. 'Yes, I suppose I'm not really the company you want at a wedding. Last one I attended was Lily and James's.'

'What was that like?' asked Ginny curiously. She knew very little about Harry's parents. She knew he did have pictures of them, but had never seen them herself.

'Small. It was still wartime. Sirius was best man. Excuse me, I'm just going to get a drink,' he said shortly, before swiftly leaving.

'Oh just ignore him,' said Tonks rolling her eyes. 'If you catch him in a good mood he's great, before he remembers that he's stressed.'

'No, I shouldn't have asked,' said Ginny, shaking her head. 'I suppose it's not really what he wants to talk about.'

'Never mind,' said Tonks cheerfully, though there was a slight tension in her face. 'Now, where's your drink? I would have thought you'd be making the most out of the unsupervised alcohol floating around…'

Ginny couldn't remember the last time she laughed so much, and despite the balls of her feet burning in pain from dancing, the difficulty she had extracting herself from clingy distant relatives, and Muriel's disapproving glare as she was spotted sneaking champagne, she felt on top of the world. It was truly as if there was nothing wrong at all, and Voldemort was no more real than a pantomime villain in a children's fairytale.

The illusion was brutally shattered as a streak of silver fell through the canopy, landing as a shining lynx in the midst of the crowd. ' _The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming_.'


	6. Chapter 6

The hooded figures surrounded them, watching menacingly. She could hear crashes coming from the direction of the house, and every now and then someone would be dragged, often shrieking, back into the marquee and forced unceremoniously to sit on the floor with the rest of them, huddled together and trapped by a ring of Death Eaters and corrupt Ministry officials. Her heart was pounding in her throat, she thought she might be sick. She was trying to look around to make sure Harry, Hermione and Ron had got away, but the Death Eaters were watching them all carefully. Tonks was next to her, and it was only when she grasped her hand and rubbed it reassuringly that Ginny realized she was shaking slightly. Where was her Gryffindor spirit now?

'Where's your youngest boy then?' a Death Eater asked Molly loudly. He seemed familiar to Ginny, with a thin black moustache and a tall stature. 'Did he not want to join in the party?'

'He's very sick,' replied Molly coldly. Ginny was astounded at the steely resilience on her mother's face. She had always assumed that her mother would be the first to break down and cry in these situations.

'Oh is he?' sneered the Death Eater, approaching. His accent had a slight East London twang — not as thick as Dung's, but enough to sound both sinister and eerily friendly at the same time.

'Yes,' said Molly firmly. 'He's sick in bed at the moment. Spattergroit, according to the Healers. I'm happy to bring you to him.'

'I'll show him,' said Arthur loudly, getting to his feet. The surrounding Death Eaters all pointed their wands to him, and Madam Delacour gave a slight squeal.

The East London Death Eater gave a slight chuckle. 'Nah, you're all right, mate. Sit down. You three!' He whistled at a Death Eater and two cold looking Ministry workers. 'Go with this lovely lady and check on her son, see if he can make it out of bed to join in our little chat.'

Her mother rose with dignity, and silently led the three out of the marquee, ignoring their wands pressed against her back.

'No one else outside, MacNair,' said an eager voice. With a lurch, Ginny recognized both of them at once. The eager voice belonged to the once friendly conductor of the Knight Bus, and MacNair had been at the Department of Mysteries the night Sirius died. With a little satisfaction, she remembered how Neville had poked him hard in the eye with his wand.

'Good work, Stan…' he surveyed the small group that had not been quick enough, or hadn't been able, to Disapparate to safety. 'We might as well begin even without Mumma Weasley.'

Several Death Eaters laughed. MacNair began to pace around the circle. Ginny turned to watch him, using the chance to look for Harry, Ron and Hermione. Hagrid had managed to get away, as had Muriel and the Lovegoods, but several guests still remained. She caught George's eye. He looked away, but pretended to rub his missing ear. In the briefest flash, she saw his fingers form an 'OK' symbol. Her sigh of relief came in shudders.

'You the 'appy couple?' MacNair asked, stopping in front of Bill and Fleur.

Bill looked up at him. 'Clearly,' he said coldly. It did look a little ridiculous; Fleur's beautiful ivory dress pooled around her as she sat on the now scuffed and dirty dance floor. Glimmering confetti still rested on the shoulders of Bill's dress robes.

'Well I am sorry to interrupt your 'appy celebrations. Really, I am, you look beautiful, sweetheart,' said MacNair tauntingly to Fleur's furious face. 'I wouldn't want yah to think I was doing this just to be a dick. Nah, nah… we're looking for someone. Thought he might be here.'

Everyone was very still and silent. It was obvious who they were looking for, but playing dumb was by far the safer option.

'As you can see,' said Bill carefully. 'Most of our guests Disapparated. Unless you can see whoever it is you're looking for, I think you should leave.'

'Come on now, mate,' said MacNair softly. 'We're reasonable people. You know who we're looking for.' He turned and addressed the group. 'Harry Potter! Anyone seen him? Recognizable chap.'

The majority of the guests gathered there were not aware that Harry had been there, so gave genuine expressions of bewilderment. The Weasleys and the Order members also did their best to look confused, well aware that the dozen or so Death Eaters surrounding them were watching them closely.

'Anyone seen 'im?' MacNair was gesturing wildly, as though trying to warm up a crowd before entertainment. 'From what we've heard, he likes this family a lot, makes sense he'd be invited.'

'He wasn't,' said Bill calmly. 'And as you can see, he's not here.'

'All sorts of tricks you can do to change your appearance though, isn't there?' came a rasping new voice. Every hair on the back of Ginny's neck stood up, as with horror she recognized Greyback stepping into the marquee. 'Not much you can do about those scars though, eh Billy boy?'

Bill paled, his scars shining out more than ever, but he kept his expression as calm and collected as it had been before.

'Get away,' hissed Fleur. 'You 'ave no right to be here. Any of you. Potter iz not here.'

'No reason we can't catch up with old friends,' guffawed Greyback. Hoots of laughter were coming from the other Death Eaters too, but they were distracted by the return of Molly and the three that had escorted her to the house.

'He's disgusting,' one of the men in Ministry robes said. 'She's not lying, that's a near dying kid. I didn't want to get anywhere near him. Revolting.'

'Proper contagious too,' added the other. 'I wasn't going to bring him down here. Goyle and a few Ministry lot are still searching the place though. Nothing so far.'

MacNair grunted, and Molly was forced to sit back down. It was humiliating, sitting there like children, awkward and uncomfortable. But their wands had been gathered and placed in a box, which sat tauntingly on the raised platform where the band had been playing only half an hour ago.

'Speaking of old friends,' said Greyback suddenly.

Tonks suddenly let go of Ginny's hand, and held tightly onto Remus's arm. Remus had closed his eyes, his lips pressed shut, breathing deeply. Greyback scuttled over to Lupin, a manic grin across his face, and crouched down low.

'Why 'ello, Remus, old pal. Long time.'

'Fenrir,' said Remus pleasantly opening his eyes. Greyback's face was inches from his own.

'How's your dad?'

'Passed away a few years ago, I'm afraid,' said Remus lightly, as though conversing with an old classmate. 'I was under the impression you knew. I believe we discussed it last year.'

'Pity,' said Greyback. 'He never did get round to apologizing to me.' MacNair was walking over slowly, but Remus continued to stare into Greyback's eyes calmly.

'This is Lupin, is it?' MacNair asked Greyback, surveying Remus closely. Ginny could hear Tonks breathing heavily. She was sitting so close to the couple that she could see every whisker on Greyback's face.

Greyback cackled. 'Yep. We go way back, don't we Remus?' A chilling realization crept over Ginny, and she suddenly understood the thunderous, protective expression on Tonks's face.

'We do,' agreed Remus, still keeping a polite tone.

'Lift up yer shirt then, so everyone can see what an impression I left,' said Greyback, and the Death Eaters howled with laughter.

To Ginny's astonishment, Lupin gave a faint smile. 'I'm sure they can guess.'

'Actually, Lupin, I was hoping you'd be here,' said MacNair. His voice was low and soft; more dangerous than he'd sounded all night. 'You're top of my list to question, as it 'appens.'

Lupin looked genuinely surprised, and fairly worried, but continued to say nothing.

'What's Remus got to do with anything?' asked Bill loudly. Ginny winced, wondering if now was the best time to antagonize Death Eaters. 'You said you were looking for Harry Potter. If you're going to interrogate my guests, you'll need to give me a damn good reason.'

MacNair ignored Bill, and pulled Greyback away. He would have loomed over Remus even had they both been standing, but Remus stayed sitting, looking up defiantly.

'Did you see Harry Potter here tonight?' asked MacNair.

'No.'

'Have you seen him recently?'

'No.'

'Like the guy?'

'Barely know him.'

'Funny,' said MacNair. His voice was barely more than a whisper, but in the tense silence of the marquee, Ginny knew that everyone was listening. 'I was under the impression you knew him quite well.'

'Not at all,' said Remus casually. 'He was one of my students some years ago, but he couldn't have been older than thirteen then. I know him no better than the hundreds of other children I taught that year.'

'Dawlish!' MacNair suddenly barked, and everyone in the marquee jumped. A wiry-haired man in Ministry robes hurried over. 'That file, please.' Dawlish handed a thick beige file to MacNair, who began leafing through it as though browsing a magazine.

'Fuck you, Dawlish,' Tonks shouted after the man. 'Confunded my arse.'

'Pipe down, missy,' said one of the Death Eaters surrounding them, aiming his wand at her scowling face. Lupin squeezed Tonks's knee tightly, though Ginny couldn't tell if it was supposed to be comforting or a warning.

'D'you know Dawlish then?' asked MacNair offhandedly.

'Obviously,' spat Tonks.

'How's that?' Something was wrong. MacNair's smile was disturbing, and Tonks suddenly looked wary.

'He's an old colleague. An Auror.'

'An Auror! That's right!' said MacNair dramatically, slapping his head as though he'd forgotten. 'Quite a good one too. Top level security clearance. You'll know the records room, won't yah?'

Tonks looked confused, she looked at Remus, who shook his head, returning her expression. 'Yes… Yes, I know it.'

'What's in there then?' MacNair asked. He sounded like a teacher trying to draw an answer out of a petulant child.

'All the case studies… Records of old investigations… Analysis of evidence…'

MacNair nodded, humming his agreement. 'And in the cage? Did you have clearance for that an' all?'

Tonks was suddenly very still. 'I did,' she said.

'Dawlish does too,' said MacNair. 'It's where they keep their most interesting cases, isn't it? All the good stuff.' He was still browsing the file. 'I was interested in a few, so Dawlish got them for me. I thought they might help. You see, Potter is a matter of criminal interest.'

'Harry? A criminal?' interrupted Fred. He was looking at MacNair with a mixture of revulsion and amusement. 'You're bonkers.'

MacNair glanced at him shrewdly. 'We'll have a chat in a bit, you and me… But yes, Dawlish 'ere is in charge of a new investigation, to find the murderer Harry Potter. Wanted for the death of Albus Dumbledore.'

It was laughable, and the crowd began to shout unintelligibly at MacNair, who ignored them, still reading his file. The surrounding Death Eaters shouted back, before one of them waved his wand and Ginny suddenly found herself unable to speak.

'Now this particular file,' said MacNair, tapping it lightly with a hand. 'This file is about Mr and Mrs Potter. It's got everything you could ever want to know about their case. Have you read it, blondie?'

Ginny felt a cold fury course through her veins, down to the tips of her fingers which she clenched into a fist. She was apalled at the way he was handling it, disgusted by his tone, as though he were recommending a good book, horrified by what could be in there.  
Tonks looked equally revolted. 'I had to, once. As part of training.'

'Well, it's fascinating. I was particularly interested to see the name Remus Lupin pop up though.' He looked down at Remus, who had gone very pale, and was breathing deeply. 'Says here you identified the bodies.'

'That's right,' said Remus stiffly.

'Must have been funny,' said MacNair, his voice once again so gentle that it sounded more threatening than before. 'Seeing them there, lying in that grim morgue at the Ministry, all pale and stiff and lifeless… Says here you took responsibility to arrange their funeral too.'

Remus nodded, getting paler by the second. 'I did.'

'So… you were close to them then?'

There was a long pause. Ginny was shaking, she wanted to look away, wanted to clap her hands over her ears so she couldn't hear, but some twisted part of her was forcing her to pay close attention. 'I… I was close to James at school,' said Remus carefully. 'We lost touch after we left Hogwarts, but I was just the easiest person to arrange that sort of thing, so Dumbledore contacted me.'

'But you were friends with James Potter? Good friends?'

'At school, yes,' said Remus, his voice hoarse.

'Because,' said MacNair loudly, taking a step back and once again addressing the entire group. 'I don't know if you're aware, but there are photos in this file. Now, I never met James Potter.' He held up a hand as though admitting an ignorance. His voice was so cheerful and excited that it seemed to suck all strength out of Ginny; she felt they had lost already, so soon was this Death Eater celebrating. 'Nah, I never met him, but I have met Harry Potter.' He took a large photo out of the file.

 _Oh, God, no. Please no._

'And it struck me how much young Harry looks like his daddy!' he shouted, holding the photo up to the crowd.

It was Harry, unmistakably Harry. Dead. Dead and still, his face pale and waxy looking, eyes closed behind glasses, messy hair against cold, dull metal. There was a rushing sound in her ears and she couldn't help the tears falling, because photos were supposed to move but there he was lying still and unmoving, eternally lying on a metal trolley, frozen in time-

The Death Eaters were bent double laughing at the distraught reactions of their prisoners. People were screaming obscenities, crying and staring up at the photo through trembling fingers. Gabrielle was sobbing into her mother's chest, a look of terror on her angelic face, and the twins had stood up, ready to run at MacNair, but were both hit with nasty jelly-legs jinxes from Stan Shunpike.

'Now it seems to me,' said MacNair loudly, bringing the photo down to just a foot away from Remus's face. 'That a man who was so close to James Potter that he was called up to identify the body, that organized the funeral, that even picked the epitaph for his grave… seems unlikely that he would treat the son who looks so much like him as "any other student"… Seems more like he'd be particularly attached… Don't you agree?'

Remus was breathing heavily, desperately looking away from the picture. 'I… I admit that when I met Harry it was… difficult. Upsetting. He just looked too… too similar. Hence why I couldn't bear to get too close. Like I said, I haven't seen him since I was a teacher at Hogwarts, which was some years ago.'

Now the photo was so much closer to her, Ginny could see the slight differences that showed that it was not Harry. There was obviously no scar, but Harry's nose was shorter than this man's, and his glasses were not rectangular like those in the picture. But now her heart broke for Remus, and she was filled with a strong desire to attack MacNair; to punch, scratch, kick and bite.

'Maybe… Maybe…' said MacNair. 'Or perhaps you're lying. I think you do know where he is. Or you have some ideas about where he could be.'

'No, not at all.'

'I have lots more photos,' said MacNair. 'You'll have recognized that one because it was taken in the same place that you identified them, but these ones…' he rifled through the folder. 'These were taken at the scene.'

He held up a photograph of a hallway, and with a lurch Ginny could see a dark haired figure, crumpled on the ground. She looked away quickly. She did not want to see that. Remus made a choking noise.

'You can show me as many as you want,' he said, his voice shaking. 'Doesn't change the fact that I can't help you.'

Ginny kept her gaze fixed away, staring at the horrified expressions of Lee Jordan and an old classmate of Bill's that had been too drunk to Apparate.

'Is this blondie your wife?' MacNair was asking. 'Pretty girl. Feisty girl.'  
'Leave her alone,' said Remus harshly, his voice darker than Ginny had ever heard it before.

'Remus knows I like the girls…' said Greyback, prowling into view again. 'And I like it when they fight back… Lovely girls and little children, that's what I like best…'

'I'd heard that Mrs Potter was pretty,' said MacNair, more sinisterly than ever. 'And then I found this photo and turns out it was true, she was… Even in death… Just look at those eyes… Great beauty doesn't stop wives getting killed…'

Remus's pained cry mixed with the sound of cruel laughter and jeering from the Death Eaters. There was a dull bang and Ginny turned back to see her father staggering backwards, clutching his nose, blood pouring from between his fingers.

'Didn't I tell you to sit down?' roared MacNair furiously. 'You're all pissing me off. You do not want to piss me off. Now, Lupin's no help but what about the rest of you?' He began to walk around the crowd, pointing his wand in people's faces and holding the file in the other.

'Do you know where he is? Do you know where he is? You? No? Do you know where he is? Have you seen him lately?' he sounded bored, frustration was starting to shadow his face. 'Come on now you lot, we're trying to catch a murderer! It's your civic duty…'

'Nobody has seen him because he wasn't here!' exclaimed Bill. 'And even if he had been, he'd have Apparated somewhere else when you lot showed up.'

'Now where do you think he would have gone?' asked MacNair. 'I know a load of you were friendly with him, you must have some idea.'

A furious silence filled the marquee. MacNair suddenly lurched forwards and grabbed Fred by the hair, dragging him to the edge of the group, as Fred's legs were still useless. George was screaming for Fred, and so was Molly, but MacNair pulled him into a sitting position, still gripping his ginger hair tightly. Fred glared up at him.

'I told you we'd be having a chat.'

'Fuck you,' said Fred.

'You and me? We're going to have a fall out if you keep talking like that,' said MacNair. 'Now, we don't want to get violent, that's not what the Ministry does. But it's very important we get Potter before he kills again, understand? So, really, the means justify the ends, don't they?'

Fred stayed silent, his fists clenched. Ginny suddenly couldn't stop thinking about Fred and George taunting her and Harry, saying that they knew something…

'You seem very defensive of Potter. Good friends?'

'None of your business.'

Ginny's heart sank — why couldn't Fred just follow Lupin's lead? McNair gave Fred a short slap around the head, and pointed his finger sternly in his face.

'I don't have time for that kind of bullshit. I know Potter was friendly with this family, so there's no point messing me about. Are you good friends with him?'

Fred opened his mouth, ready to respond with what was likely to be another swear word, but Molly quickly stood up.

'All my boys know him,' she said hurriedly. 'He visited a few times. But we haven't seen him all summer.'

'He hasn't been here?'

'No.'

MacNair walked over to her, pointing his wand at her throat. 'If you are lying to me, we will find out. We are searching your house top to bottom. If we find _anything_ that suggests he's been here lately, you will be regarded as an accomplice.'

'He hasn't been here in a long time,' repeated Molly.

MacNair looked at her coldly for a long time, but Molly just stared straight back. Ginny felt a swell of pride for her mother's bravery, but it must have showed on her face, because suddenly MacNair was looking at her with a piercing gaze.

'Sit down,' he muttered at Molly, still looking at Ginny. He approached her like a big cat would approach prey, and towered above her menacingly.

'Hello,' she said confidently, breaking the silence. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Fred give an appreciative grin. MacNair did not look amused that she had interrupted his intimidation tactic.

'And who are you?' he asked.

'Ginny Weasley.' With significant relief, she realized that he did not recognize her from the Department of Mysteries.

'The youngest Weasley child, MacNair,' offered one of the Death Eaters. 'The year below Potter.'

'Ah, so you must have known him quite well then?'

'Not really. He was in the year above, we didn't share any classes.' She felt a burning strength rise up in her in the face of his questioning, defiance running through her veins.

'You seemed very upset when you saw that picture though… Is it because he looks so much like that?'

'No,' said Ginny coolly. 'Brandishing round a picture of any corpse is disturbing. Of course I was going to be upset, no matter who it was.' She chanced a brief glance at Remus, who still looked pale and was staring dully at the floor.

'You don't want to see more then?' asked MacNair, opening the file again.

'Like I said, it's very disturbing.'

'You know, in here they really have detailed everything. It's really quite impressive how thorough it is. For example, did you know that Mrs Potter left her wand in the kitchen? Or that the plates from dinner still hadn't been cleared away? Mr Potter was also part way through writing a letter to a friend, it was found in the study.'

He too, was now glancing at Remus, who continued to stare dully at the golden floor.

'I don't see how any of this is relevant,' said Ginny boldly. She was gaining an odd sense of confidence. She had always been good at lying; growing up with Fred and George had taught her some useful skills for wriggling out of trouble.

He crouched down to meet her eye level, his creepy moustache highlighting his smirk. 'I just thought you might be interested. They are interesting details. It was an interesting case.'

'It means very little to me. I was barely two months old.'

He held up a photo. In it, a black-haired baby was screaming at the camera, trickles of blood crawling down his face from a brutal lightning-shaped gash in his forehead. 'This was taken just before he was cleaned up and taken to live with his relatives. What do you think of it?'

Her heart was thudding, but she forced herself to keep her emotions in check, hoping her face looked calm. 'It's a very sad picture.'

'But it doesn't distress you?'

'Not especially.'

He looked disappointed; his joy at taunting his prisoners was lessening as he struggled to get useful information. 'Do you believe Potter may have returned to Godric's Hollow?'

'I don't know,' said Ginny, honestly this time. 'We were never close enough to talk about that place. Like I said, I didn't know him that well.'  
'Has he ever mentioned special places to you? Places he would hide?'  
'I already told you, I didn't know him that well.'

MacNair swore and turned away, picking someone else, seemingly at random to interrogate. Ginny took the chance to shuffle closer to Tonks, who embraced her with one arm, and leant across her lap to Lupin. 'Remus,' she whispered. 'Remus, are you OK?'

He turned his head and looked at her slowly. He looked old, and unhappier than Ginny had ever seen him. He gave a brief nod and looked back at the ground. He seemed to be swaying slightly. Ginny hugged close to Tonks, no longer listening to MacNair's interrogation. He had run out of ammunition, and had now resorted to repeating the same questions, over and over, with increasing desperation to every guest.

The night air was making her shiver, and the dance floor and tight dress kept her permanently uncomfortable. She scrunched up her eyes, praying that Harry, Ron and Hermione were safe, and thinking desperately of happy summer afternoons by the lake.

She could hear Lee passionately insisting that he hadn't seen Harry that night, and Tonks had pulled Lupin to her other side, gripping them both as Ginny continued to shake. Their breath swirled before them in the cold night air, and it felt as though a Dementor was present, though Ginny knew there wasn't. Moths had begun to enter the tent, attracted by the floating lanterns, so Ginny watched them helplessly beating themselves at the glass.

Hours passed, before long the Death Eaters had to admit defeat. Every guest had been questioned, nobody could give any indication that he had been there. Stan Shunpike began handing them back their wands; Ginny was sorely tempted to send a vicious Bat Bogey hex his way, but exhaustion and fear that they would be forced to stay in the marquee for even longer helped her resist.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her father shuffle to the edge of the marquee, unseen by the Death Eaters, and subtly send a streak of silver into the night sky. People were beginning to Disapparate, Lee swiftly embracing the twins before going, and a pair of hands draped a shawl over her shoulders. She turned, and the lined face of her mother was smiling sadly at her.

'You were very brave,' said Molly, pulling her into a hug.

It was as though her mother had flicked a switch, and suddenly all the emotions and thoughts and memories she had been suppressing had been unleashed. Molly was sobbing now, free to show her emotions now that her family was safe, and she had returned to the same frightened woman that Ginny had comforted in the kitchen just a few days ago. Ginny gritted her teeth and clenched her eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears, but they fell anyway, hot and sticky on her cold face, images of corpses and anguished men and screaming children flashing through her mind.


	7. Chapter 7

They were gathered in the living room, packed tightly together and hastily trying to tidy up the mess the Death Eaters had left. The sofas had been ripped open, curtains pulled down, and books pulled off shelves and scattered across the floor, almost hiding the rug covered in muddy boot prints. They cleaned up by hand in an oddly casual way, as if nothing was wrong and it was an everyday occurrence to have your home ransacked.

Still wrapped in her mother's shawl, Ginny half-heartedly kicked the crumpled rug back into a flat position, glumly watching her mum attend to her dad's bloody nose.

'You shouldn't have run at him,' Molly scolded. 'I mean, really Arthur, there's a time and a place for heroics…'

'I wasn't going to stand for him treating Remus like that,' said Arthur firmly. 'Not without putting up a fight.'

Remus gave a small smile as he picked a broken lamp up off the floor.

'I'm very touched, Arthur, but I'm fine. It's not worth risking your life for the sake of protecting my feelings.'

'Even so,' said Arthur stubbornly, 'I won't have my family and friends tormented. Not to mention how disrespectful it was to the Potters. That file should never have seen the light of day, let alone be used as some twisted interrogation tactic.'

'I never realized how much Harry looked like his Dad,' said George, looking dumbfounded. 'I mean, I know you guys always said it, but…' he trailed off, looking uneasily at Lupin.

Remus nodded. 'Yes, quite remarkable really. Even as a baby it was clear. We used to tease James, said it was proof that Harry wasn't the milkman's baby.'

Fred snorted. 'That would be a good twist in the Chosen One legend, wouldn't it? You're all right though, Lupin?'

Remus look strained, but smiled at Fred. 'Of course. It's been an unpleasant end to a lovely night, but we'll all recover.' Tonks smiled up at him and reached up for a kiss, but Remus apparently didn't notice, turning his head away so she caught the edge of his jaw.

It had not gone unnoticed, but thankfully Arthur leapt in to break the embarrassed silence. 'Well they'll still be watching us, I expect. I know most of the guests have gone, but I think Order members should stay here for a little longer at least. They couldn't get too rough with so many witnesses but I don't want to risk anyone being cornered alone.'

Lupin looked irritated, but Tonks looked outright distraught. 'I need to check on my parents. I've got such a horrible feeling—'

'I'm sure they're fine, Tonks,' said Bill quietly. 'Stay here, just for the night.'

She nodded, sighing heavily. 'We'll conjure something up and sleep in here.'

'We'll all have some tea first,' ordered Molly. 'To calm the nerves.'

'Yeah, Ginny looks like she could do with some,' said Charlie.

Ginny scowled at him. 'I'm fine!' she insisted. 'Just bloody freezing still!'

'No, you look really shook up—'

'I'm not a little girl! You're so—'

'Stop it, you two,' snapped Molly, heading towards the kitchen. 'None of us need to listen to your bickering. Everyone, and I mean everyone, sit down while I get some tea.'

Nobody was going to argue, so they all found somewhere to settle in the chaotic room, even if it meant conjuring cushions and sitting on the floor.

Through the dark window, they could occasionally see spots of light by the edge of the garden that were surely from wands.

'Are they staking us out?' demanded George. 'Cheeky bastards!'

'I told you,' said Arthur grimly. 'No one leaves until morning.' Fleur sighed huffily and rested her head on Bill's shoulder. He kissed her on the head and whispered something apologetic. Ginny pulled a face at Fred, who responded by waggling his eyebrows.

'I can't get zat 'orrible picture out of my 'ead,' said Madam Delacour, shuddering and holding a very drowsy Gabrielle on her lap. 'It iz just ghastly.'

'Vile,' agreed Monsieur Delcaour, dabbing his clammy forehead with a handkerchief.

'I'm sorry you had to see that,' said Remus, looking tremendously guilty.

'Don't be a plonker,' said Fred. 'It's not your fault, is it? It's just messed up.'

'It wasn't right,' said Tonks furiously. 'That file is incredibly sensitive; it should never have left the records room.'

'I just don't get it,' said Charlie. 'Why would they think showing us that would make us more likely to dish out information on Harry?'

'I imagine they hoped emotionally fragile people would be easier to frighten and get information out of, which is why they brought Greyback along as well,' said Tonks. 'Or maybe they just wanted to gloat.'

'Plus they wanted to make us think that resisting them can only end in death,' said Arthur quietly. 'It was a threat too.'

'Yes, it was,' agreed Lupin. 'That's why he showed only me the picture of Lily. It was a threat that my partner would be harmed, as James's was.'

'Misogynistic arsehole,' said Tonks bitterly. 'If he wanted to threaten me he should have threatened me personally, not through my husband.'

'Well, he used an orphan's family; he wasn't going to stop there, was he?' said Fred venomously. 'It's sick. I'm never going to be able to think of Harry and his family the same now; it'll just be that creepy picture in the back of my mind.'

Lupin sighed and shook his head, reaching into his robes. 'Here,' he said, opening his wallet. 'I'll not have James remembered like that.'

He passed Fred a small photograph that had clearly been folded and unfolded many times.

'Bloody hell,' laughed Fred. 'You look young!'

'Ooh, l want to see!' said Fleur excitedly, somehow looking elegant even as she scrambled across the sofa to peer over Fred's shoulder. 'Oh! Fred iz right! You are very young here, and quite 'andsome! And 'oo iz zat attractive man in zee back? He's iz gorgeous, almost as much as my 'usband.'

Lupin gave a bark of laughter. 'That would be Sirius.'

'Never!' gaped George. 'Azkaban didn't do the poor bloke any good, did it? Who's the skinny kid next to you?'

'Peter. Let's not talk about him.'

'Let me see!' insisted Ginny, standing and trying to figure out how to cross the room without standing on anyone.

Molly had returned and was handing out cups of tea. She pushed one into Ginny's reluctant hands as she passed and looked suspiciously at the twins and her new daughter-in-law. 'What's that you've got there?'

'Picture of Remus and company,' said George cheerfully. 'Before everything got depressing.'

Ginny had reached them, and leaned awkwardly over Fred to look. The black and white photo showed four young men, grinning proudly into the camera. They all seemed to have a relaxed, cool air about them. Harry's father was there, at once looking just like him and somehow nothing like him at all — there was something different in the way he smiled, in the way he held himself…

'Harry's dad looks pleased with himself,' she said to Remus.

Remus chuckled fondly. 'He didn't quite have Harry's modesty. Everything was a big joke, and he was the comedy star, in his opinion.'

'Sounds like our kind of bloke,' said Fred approvingly, stretching up to pass the photo to his mother.

'Oh, look,' she crooned. 'How lovely. When was this taken, Remus?'

'Not long after we left Hogwarts. James proposed to Lily just a few days later, I believe.' Ginny had not seen him like this before, suddenly so much more cheerful than just a few minutes ago. The nostalgia had given him some sort of strength, and he suddenly looked inspired, and proud. It seemed odd to her that he was suddenly willing to reminisce after shrugging off her enquiries about the Potter's wedding.

'We were very active in the Order at that point,' he continued excitedly as Molly passed the photo to Arthur and Bill. 'Dumbledore asked us to join on our last day of school, and we just leapt into it. James and Sirius in particular thought it was quite the adventure. They used to compete to see who could apprehend the most Death Eaters.'

'Well, now I feel like I've achieved sod all,' grumbled Charlie. 'Nothing like looking at some shockingly young revolutionaries to make you feel lazy.'

'Don't forget cowardly,' said Fred helpfully. 'When were you going back to Romania again? Wednesday, was it? Don't let us keep you; the war effort's overcrowded as it is.'

'Yeah, we can barely move for all the people helping us out,' added George. 'I was saying the other day I wish there were enough dark wizards to go round. I've got another ear I need to get rid of.'

'Tell me,' Ginny interrupted aggressively, staring at Fred and George. She was not sure where this outburst had come from, but something about the conversation and the photo had fueled a fire in her. 'You have to tell me. Tell us all. What you know.'

They both looked at each other uneasily. Everyone else in the room looked shocked and confused; Madam Delacour was looking at her as if she had gone mad.

'Are you all right, Ginny?' asked Charlie, looking alarmed. 'They were just joking, you know…'

'They know something. About what Harry, Ron and Hermione are up to. The mission. They've been hinting about it for days.'

'We were just joking,' said George.

'No, you weren't. Don't lie to me.'

There was a crushing silence. Fred and George seemed to shrink a little under the heavy gaze of the room. 'Look… It might not mean anything,' said Fred slowly.

'Tell us,' demanded Lupin. He looked fierce, ready for action.

George scratched the side of his neck awkwardly. 'Well, it's probably nothing… But they said they weren't returning because they had something to do, right? Something Dumbledore left them. Well, we were in our old room, and the window was open. Ron and Hermione were talking in the garden.'

'This was before Harry arrived,' added Fred.

'What were they saying?' asked Ginny. Her heart felt like it was in her throat. Charlie was gaping open-mouthed, and Arthur had frozen with his teacup in front of his face.

'Ron was asking what they would do when they "found them all", and whether Hermione had worked out how to get rid of them.'

'Get rid of what?' asked Tonks.

'We don't know,' said George. 'They never said. But then Hermione said she was hoping Dumbledore would have told Harry how to do it, and then that she was worried that "that was how Dumbledore injured his hand". Then Ron sounded all dejected and said it was hopeless, that they were way too inexperienced and that it wasn't fair that Dumbledore had left them to do this.'

'Well he's quite right!' said Molly. 'He had the whole Order at his command!'

'There's something else,' said Arthur. 'Isn't there?'

'Yeah,' said Fred heavily. 'Hermione was trying to shake some sense into Ron… She said… Well…'

'She said "with magic this dark, we have no choice". Then she said something about Voldemort going against the very laws of nature,' said George. 'And then she told him to buck up because Harry was already convinced he's going to die and she didn't have time to search for "those evil things" and act as a cheerleader for them both too.'

There was a long silence. 'That's… That's all we heard,' said Fred lamely.

'So they're searching for something then?' suggested Lupin. 'Several of these things?'

'Very dark objects by the sounds of it,' said Bill, his brow furrowed in concentration. 'Ron's right, they're way too inexperienced to go round trying to break curses and get involved in stuff that injured even Dumbledore. They need someone experienced with them, someone who knows dark magic.'

'Harry's under the impression he can't tell anyone anything,' said Molly. 'I've tried. He's not very trusting.'

'He trusts Ron and Hermione well enough,' snapped Ginny, feeling resentful. 'Are you sure they didn't mention the names of these things?'

The twins nodded. 'We were hoping you'd know, that's what we were trying to get out of you.'

'Nope. He didn't tell me anything,' she replied bluntly. She felt furious and frustrated and suddenly quite happy that Harry wasn't here. Tonks was looking at her sympathetically.

'Look, let's all get some rest,' said Molly impatiently. 'Hopefully we'll hear from them soon. It's been a long day and we're all exhausted.'

'Oui/i' said Monseiur Delacour, yawning widely. 'Zee sun iz coming up.'

Sure enough, a pinkish glow was peeking over the horizon, and the dark features of the garden could now be seen in a dull grey light. They all hastily said their goodnights, deciding who would sleep where with some confusion, and settled down to get at least a few precious hours of sleep.

iORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL RESULTS

Pass Grades:

Outstanding (O)

Exceeds Expectations (E)

Acceptable (A)

Fail Grades:

Poor (P)

Dreadful (D)

Troll (T)

GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY HAS ACHIEVED:

Astronomy: A

Arithmancy: D

Charms: O

Care of Magical Creatures: O

Defence Against the Dark Arts: E

Herbology: E

History of Magic: P

Muggle Studies: O

Potions: E

Transfiguration E/i

The parchment was crinkling under her firm grip, but she was half laughing, half sighing with relief. Her mother was kissing her repeatedly on the side of the head.

'Oh, wonderful, Ginny! Just wonderful! You've always been such a bright girl, and just look! Oh, I'm so proud of you…'

'They're not too bad, are they?' she said happily. 'I mean, I'm a bit disappointed with Arithmancy, but Hermione persuaded me into it and-'

'Oh, pish!' interrupted Molly, waving a hand. 'I've always thought that was a needlessly hard subject, who needs it anyway? Besides, three O's! Three! And plenty of E's too, oh, I'll send word to your dad right away…' She hurried off, wiping proud tears from her eyes.

Ginny grinned, opening the rest of her letter. It was excellent news, just what she and her mother needed after the events of the wedding, and she hoped that-

Her brain seemed to stop as she scanned the rest of her letter.

iDear Miss Weasley,

We welcome you back to Hogwarts for your sixth year of studying. All school aged students should be made aware that attendance is now compulsory for all young witches and wizards, starting this September 1st. Non-compliance with this regulation could result in an investigation from Law Enforcement wizards and a jail sentence of up to five years.

Please find enclosed the book list…/i

Feeling slightly in a daze, she walked into the living room, where her mother was crouching down with her head in the fire and Charlie was lounging lazily on the sofa, still in his pyjamas.

'All right?' he asked gruffly. 'Not still thinking about the other night are you? I told you-'

'No, I'm not thinking about the wedding,' she said faintly, handing him the letter. 'Look at this. Something's not right.'

As he read it, he raised his eyebrows, and hoisted himself up on his elbow. 'Compulsory? That's… a change. And what are they on about, jail sentence? You can't put people in Azkaban until they're of age.'

'I don't know… That's why it's frightened me so much,' she admitted. 'I mean, everyone goes to Hogwarts already, don't they? But there's something really odd about it.'

He nodded, still poring over the letter. 'Yeah… There's no head teacher address either…'

'What?'

'Look.' He turned the letter towards her and tapped the top of the parchment with one finger. 'That's where Dumbledore's address always went. For replies. But we still don't know who the Head is and they haven't even requested a reply… Because it's compulsory, I guess.'

'It'll be McGonagall, won't it?' asked Ginny, perplexed. 'She was Deputy Head.'

Charlie shrugged helplessly. 'That's what I thought.'

Molly scrambled up from the grate, looking a little flustered. 'Dad says well done,' she said briskly. 'Was, er, anything in your letter?'

'You mean except for the compulsory attendance bit?'

Molly's face fell. 'It's true then. Your dad said that it's all over iThe Prophet/i, they made the announcement this morning.'

'It's weird,' said Ginny darkly. 'I don't like it.'

'Nor do I, much,' said Molly, looking distressed. 'Nothing we can do about it though. We can't have more Ministry people poking around, I'm amazed they fell for that ghoul trick.'

'Did you read the rest of this letter, Ginny?' asked Charlie, frowning.

'No, it's just the standard stuff about books and uniforms and the train, isn't it?'

'You have to attend an interview at the Ministry first… to confirm your attendance.'

'But it says it's compulsory,' said Molly, looking horrified. 'It doesn't make sense.'

'I bet it's so they can interrogate us!' said Ginny. 'Like the wedding!'

'iStudents will receive details of their attendance interview at the Ministry for Magic in due coursei,' quoted Charlie, staring intently at the letter as if it would suddenly reveal more to him. 'Yeah, perhaps you're right, perhaps they're going to question everyone about where Harry and Hermione are.'

'They don't know that Hermione won't be there,' said Ginny. 'And that's a lot of students to get through just to find Harry, most of them don't even know him.'

The answer was revealed to them when Arthur returned home from work with a copy of the newspaper. To their horror, the paper detailed the new procedures which would establish the 'Blood Status' of students, in order to ensure that all children enrolled in the school were there 'under legitimate and fair circumstances'.

'It's to weed out the Muggleborns then?' said Ginny furiously. 'What happens to the students who turn up and don't have good enough blood?'

'Not allowed to go, I suppose,' said George. 'But they still have to attend the interview to make sure, by the looks of things…'

'Well that doesn't sound suspicious at all,' said Fred. 'What was everyone saying in the Ministry, Dad?'

'Most people are savvy enough to keep their heads down, so no one is really saying anything,' said Arthur. 'I would say most people are definitely uncomfortable at the very least, but there's always been an underlying culture of anti-Muggle sentiment, so it's not hard for them to ignore it while it's not affecting them.'

'What happens to the eleven year olds?' asked Ginny sharply. 'The ones who don't even know anything about this world?'

'I have no idea,' said Arthur sadly. 'But even adult Muggleborns are being called in for questioning. Kingsley was saying that Ted Tonks is thinking of going on the run.'

'I'm not surprised after what happened to him and Andromeda,' said Molly.

'Has Lupin come back yet?' asked Ginny. The morning after the wedding, they had woke to find a teary Tonks sitting alone at the kitchen table. Remus had told her that he'd figured something out, and he had something he needed to go and do. He hadn't been heard from since.

'No,' said Arthur crossly. 'Who knows where he's gone? Kingsley thinks there may be someone living in the old headquarters, but we don't know whether they're friend or foe.'

'Could be Ron and the others,' said Fred hopefully.

Arthur nodded. 'That's what I'm inclined to believe, but it's too risky to check. There are Death Eaters loitering outside any place that has even the slightest connection to Harry, apparently they've even been in

Surrey.'

'I'm not sure I want Ginny going back to Hogwarts,' said Molly tearfully. 'Perhaps it's safer if we all go into hiding.'

'Are you joking?' replied Ginny, outraged. 'You spend all summer trying to convince Harry bloody Potter, his Muggleborn friend and my blood traitor brother to go back, and now you're agreeing with them? If you didn't want me to go there you should have let me go with them!'

'Don't be silly,' snapped Molly. 'Things have obviously changed.'

'I think we're better off playing along for now,' said Arthur warily. 'We'll just draw more attention to ourselves if we try to vanish. Our blood will protect us in the foreseeable future.'

'Blood didn't protect Bill!' cried Molly. 'Or George! Blood isn't going to protect Ron either! Oh, Arthur!' She burst into tears, and Arthur obediently went over to console her.

Feeling emotionally exhausted and not at all in the mood to look after her mum, Ginny headed up to her room, vaguely thinking of running away from home to find the others. She heard Fred and George following her up the stairs, and turned on the landing to face them.

'I've been thinking about what you guys said the other night,' she told them.

They looked at her irritated. 'We should never have said anything,' muttered George. 'None of you will leave us alone now.'

'Do you think those weird things Dumbledore left them could be the evil things? The Snitch and the book and the clicker thing?'

'They didn't look very evil,' said George dismissively. 'Move out of our way, I'm so bored of talking about depressing stuff.'

She ignored them. 'Riddle's diary didn't look evil either.'

'Look, those things were tested at the Ministry and they said they were fine. Now please move, we have business to discuss.'

'But not the sword!' she said quickly. 'They wouldn't give Harry the sword!' But the twins had already pushed past her, tired of the subject that had dominated the house since the wedding. 'It could be the sword!' she shouted, running after them. But they slammed the door in her face.

Charlie left the next day, lamely apologizing that he couldn't stay and help out, something the twins and Ginny agreed was quite selfish of him. Fred and George were staying round so often that it was like they had moved back, but even so the house seemed quiet after the chaos of the wedding. Feelings of boredom surfaced, which made Ginny feel oddly guilty – shouldn't she be consumed with worry? Instead she spent

hours pondering the mysterious objects Ron and Hermione had been discussing, and the relevancy of Dumbledore's bizarre will.

An additional letter had also arrived for her, ordering to report to the Ministry for questioning the following week. A rather animated argument had ensued about whether she should bother going, but ultimately it was decided that she had no reasonable choice. Her father was beginning to talk of sinister changes in the Ministry, and the new regime was not one they could stand up to easily.

The quiet and nervous household did not contribute to a happy mind, so it was with some relief when a rather disheveled and agitated looking Remus Lupin turned up midway through dinner.

'Where have you been?' Molly demanded, taking his cloak from him.

'We've all been worried sick, Tonks was beside herself.'

'Sorry,' he muttered. 'I'll need to go again soon, I just needed to talk to Arthur-' He stumbled a little as he sat at the table, before placing his head in his hand looking devastated.

'Have you been drinking?' asked Fred, looking alarmed.

'Huh? Oh, no… Well, yes, but it doesn't matter. Look, Arthur, I went to the old headquarters earlier.'

'Is that where you've been living these last three days?' asked Arthur. Molly placed a plate of sausages and mash in front of Lupin, who smiled gratefully at her.

'No, not me, but your son and his friends have.'

'You saw them?' shouted Ginny, overjoyed. 'Are they ok? What happened?'

'They're fine,' Remus said impatiently to her, before turning back to Arthur. 'They ran into some Death Eaters on Tottenham Court Road after the wedding. It's really worrying how quickly they were found.'

'Are they ok? They weren't hurt?' repeated Ginny.

'Merlin,' said Arthur, aghast. 'How?'

'They don't know,' said Lupin, his words slurring slightly. 'They wondered about the Trace, but that's impossible. I was hoping you could do some digging in the Ministry and find out how they're tracking him.'

'I don't think I can,' said Arthur. 'It would look far too suspicious.'

'So they're living in Grimmauld Place? They can be contacted there?' said Ginny.

'Do not contact them,' ordered Arthur sharply. He turned back to Lupin.

'Is the place secure? What about Snape?'

'The enchantments we left are still in place and there's been no sign of him.'

'What enchantments?' asked Ginny. 'Why wouldn't it be secure?'

'So they're not at risk of more Death Eaters, then?' continued Arthur.

'There are Death Eaters lurking outside but they can't get in. I'm more concerned about them being found in the middle of Muggle London though.'

'Did they say anything about-'

'Well, I'll ask Kingsley,' said Arthur, talking over Ginny. 'But I can't do anything myself. Perhaps-'

'STOP IGNORING ME!'

They stared at her, startled, and Molly gave a scandalized admonishment of 'Ginny!' while Fred and George grinned at each other over the gravy.

'We weren't-'

'I know I'm not of age but I'm not a little girl either,' she hissed. She glared at Lupin. 'I want you to tell me how they are, everything they said.

I've been going mad thinking about them, all of them. And I want to know why you were there in the first place, considering Mum spent hours

reassuring your crying wife.'

'You're just like him,' said Remus through gritted teeth. 'I just spent three hours in a pub trying to calm down, but I'm not going to waste time explaining myself to young people who don't see how the world works.'

'Calming down?' asked Molly, frowning. 'Did something happen?'

'Harry and I argued,' Remus said shortly. 'I'm not going to argue with anyone else, I only came here to talk to Arthur. Drop it.'

'What about?' asked Ginny.

'I said drop it,' he said coldly. When they all continued to stare at him, he took a bite of mashed potato and ate it slowly before, eyes cast down at his plate, he admitted, 'I offered to go with them, and he said no.'

'Oh, how could you!' Ginny practically got whiplash as she turned to look at her mother, who had dropped her fork with a clatter and was now looking at Lupin with such an expression of fury that Ginny was surprised he didn't run out of the house.

'I assume Tonks told you, then,' he said dully, playing with his food.

'What? Told you what?' asked Ginny, looking at them back and forth so

quickly that she vaguely resembled a meerkat.

'Remus has responsibilities to attend to,' growled Molly. Ginny did not feel too left out; the rest of the family looked equally befuddled.

'I can't,' Remus whispered hoarsely, looking ashamed. 'I tried to explain it to Harry-'

Molly burst into disbelieving laughter, looking quite manic, and Remus covered his face with his hands. 'Oh, you tried to explain it to Harry, did you? I bet he was completely understanding. Merlin's beard, no wonder you argued.'

Remus was shaking his head in his hands. 'I can't,' he was mumbling, his speech slightly slurred. 'I can't, I can't, you don't understand-'

'Oh, I understand, Remus,' said Molly, her voice wobbling and her eyes welling with tears. 'I know that terror. I know that this world is not… Not suitable for what you're about to face. I know you don't feel prepared.

But how could you? How icould/i you?'

'No, you don't understand, it's deeper than that… But I just… I just thought…' Lupin's voice was so hoarse that Ginny wondered if he was crying behind his hands. 'He doesn't understand what I've done to them, but I could still be… James and Sirius, they… They did so much fighting, and Harry… Harry's inexperienced…'

'He's not the child you need to look after,' said Molly gently. 'And what James and Sirius were like doesn't matter now.'

'I know,' said Lupin, his shoulders shaking slightly. 'I'm not like Sirius. I'm not. I know they're different people. I do. I'm not like Sirius. Not Sirius.'

Molly rose and embraced him. Arthur jerked his head to the others and they quietly left to the living room to give them privacy.

'What on earth was that about?' whispered Fred, once George had closed the door behind them. Ginny shrugged, utterly bewildered, but Arthur sat down with a heavy sigh.

'I think…' he said slowly, removing his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose. 'I think that's a very frightened man…'

'Yeah, we could see that,' remarked George. 'What's got into him lately? He's always been so composed.'

'And what's Tonks said to Mum?' asked Ginny. 'Do you think it's something about Sirius? And that's why Harry was angry?'

'No, I think…' Arthur paused and considered them. 'I think for the time being if your mother didn't think it was right to announce it during the argument then we shouldn't push to find out. Don't look like that, Ginny,' he scolded, spotting her huffy expression. 'I understand you're frustrated, but you have to respect people's privacy, and it's clearly not something Tonks and Lupin want many people knowing.'

She nodded solemnly, suddenly feeling incredibly guilty for her childish behaviour. Memories of Harry's voice yelling through the corridors of Grimmauld Place struck her. 'I'm sorry for shouting,' she said. 'I'm just a bit frustrated.'

Arthur simply smiled. 'We all need to shout to get heard sometimes.'


	8. Chapter 8

It was many hours later when Ginny heard the front door slam. She has nearly been asleep, so she briefly wondered whether she had dreamed the noise, but as she snuck stealthily into the darkened hallway and peered out the window, she saw Remus march swiftly out the gate, twist and vanish.

She tried to creep silently down the stairs, dodging the creaky spots as she had done for so many years, straining her ears as she crouched awkwardly on the edge of a step, listening to her parents in the kitchen.

'-Going to go back to Tonks?' her father was asking urgently.

'No!' Molly was whispering with distress. 'I was desperately trying to persuade him, I did make some progress, but he's so conflicted-'

'Did I guess right then? Is Tonks…?'

There was silence, Ginny could only assume that her mother was either shaking or nodding her head. He heard her father give a heavy sigh.

'He thinks it will be like him, he's worried he's cursed them both,' Molly was saying. Ginny frowned in confusion. Who on earth was she talking about? She couldn't imagine Remus cursing anyone.

'Running away won't help,' said Arthur irritably. 'I always thought he coped with his condition quite well, but apparently not.'

'Well, once you throw a child into the mix everything's terrifying, you stop thinking straight, don't you?' said Molly.

iThunk./i

Ginny had been so shocked, that her foot had slipped off the edge of the carpeted stair and she had lost her balance, falling awkwardly, and painfully, into a sitting position.

The door to the kitchen opened immediately.

'What was I ijust/i saying after dinner?' asked her father angrily. 'About respecting people's privacy?'

'I came down to get a glass of water,' Ginny said immediately, still sitting like a small child on the stair.

'Don't even try it,' said Molly dangerously. 'How much did you hear? No, in fact, I don't want to know, just don't you dare repeat a word to anybody.'

'Are Tonks and Lupin having a baby?' asked Ginny.

'Oh, go to bed, Ginny,' said Molly warily.

'Well are they?'

'Ginny, bed,' ordered Arthur.

'Is Remus running out on them? What a complete-'

'GINEVRA!'

She scampered back up to her room.

For the next few days she tried desperately to wheedle information out of her parents, but they remained tight lipped. She had successfully recruited Fred and George into the efforts, as they seemed just as horrified and intrigued as she was, but they had a business to run and thus there were other things to distract them. Ginny had very little to do but sulk, so sticking her nose in the affairs of others seemed like a good way to spend her time.

'You should be preparing for your interview tomorrow,' lectured Molly, ignoring Ginny's questioning once again.

'What on earth am I supposed to prepare?' asked Ginny incredulously. 'They haven't exactly said what it is, they haven't told me to write anything or practice any spells…'

'Well, have you thought about what to wear?' Molly asked briskly, folding laundry with a firm flick of her wand.

'Er, clothes? I dunno. I don't really plan my outfits in advance.'

'Yes, we can all see that,' said Molly disapprovingly, looking pointedly at Ginny's ripped jeans and scruffy Quidditch top. 'I think you should try and look professional.'

'Why? I'm going to school, not getting a job.'

'I just think it's best we don't rock the boat, and a good first impression will help,' said Molly patiently. 'Now, have you fed Crookshanks?'

Ginny groaned. 'Just because I'm bored doesn't mean you need to give me extra chores. Can't I go down to the village?'

'Certainly not. Go and feed the cat.'

Feeling highly resentful, Ginny trudged upstairs to find Crookshanks, wondering dully if Harry, Ron and Hermione were bored. iObviously not, idiot,/i she thought bitterly. iThey're off saving the world, getting stuck in to all the action/i.

Her thoughts strayed once again to the mysterious objects Harry, Ron and Hermione were hunting. She couldn't think why they would be searching for objects after Harry had said they were trying to kill Voldemort, so she had considered that they were looking for things that could be used as weapons against him. But then she remembered Ron wondering how to destroy them, and she was back to square one.

Crookshanks was hiding under Hermione's old camp bed, which Ginny had not yet bothered to put away.

'Do you miss her?' she crooned to the grumpy looking cat. 'It's ok, I miss her too…'

She made gentle clicking noises, rubbing her fingers at him, but he simply hissed at her. 'Do you want to come with me to Hogwarts or not?' Perhaps her impatient tone had reminded him of Hermione, or maybe he had even understood her, but Crookshanks tentatively made his way out from under the bed and allowed Ginny to scoop him up. He purred in her arms and she scratched gently behind his ears, gazing at the wall, completely lost in thought.

She had expected to miss Harry and even Ron, but Hermione's absence was making her feel lonelier than ever. It was Hermione who would know exactly how to prepare for the interview, Hermione who would nod in sympathy when she described how excluded she felt, Hermione who would listen to her thoughts on Tonks and Lupin, and Hermione who would be feeding this stupid cat. In times like these, friendship was what kept you going, but her father had been nervous even about letters being sent, so she'd been unable to write to Luna or Demelza. Though what she would have said to them she had no idea.

The next day, her nervous mother bullied her into a frumpy set of professional witches robes and pulled her hair into such a tight French braid that Ginny wondered if it had changed the shape of her face.

'Now remember to stay calm,' Molly said hurriedly. 'Don't let them wind you up, Ginny, don't let it get like the wedding, just stick to the facts and don't worry too much.'

'I'm fine, Mum,' Ginny assured her. 'Dad's taking me, remember? I won't be alone.'

This did seem to calm Molly a little, but it was still with a tearful wave that she bade them farewell. Gripping tightly onto her father's arm, Ginny felt the unpleasant, suffocating sensation of Apparition, and suddenly she was stood in front of the shabby looking visitor entrance to the Ministry of Magic. She began to remember that night in the Department of Mysteries, but her dad took her firmly by the arm and began pulling her to the telephone box.

'Let's not loiter, Ginny,' he said anxiously, glancing over his shoulder. He muttered to himself as he dialed the code into the receiver.

'Welcome to the Ministry of Magic,' said the cool female voice. 'Please state your name and business.'

'Arthur Weasley, escorting Ginevra Weasley for her, er, attendance interview.'

'Thank you. Please take the badge and attach it to the front of your robes.' Ginny took her badge, pinned it grumpily to her lapel. 'All visitors are required to present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the front of the Atrium.'

'That's moved, hasn't it?' said Ginny as the floor of the telephone box shook and began to sink slowly into the ground.

'Yes,' mumbled Arthur, clearly trying to stay casual. 'Things have got a bit stricter. Try not to look like you've noticed anything's wrong.'

'What do you-'

Her words caught in her throat as she followed his pained expression. The long hall seemed far darker and colder than when she had seen it last, with a grotesque black marble statue in place of the golden fountain she had been expecting. On the dark paneled walls, Harry's face stared out from sinister posters, UNDESIRABLE NUMBER ONE emblazoned across his chest.

She swore under her breath. 'What the hell are-'

'Not here, Ginny' whispered Arthur urgently. 'Don't look at them.'

She tore her eyes away and looked more closely at the statue. The twisted forms of humans and the slogan 'MAGIC IS MIGHT' sent shivers down her spine, and she suddenly felt a nauseous feeling similar to just before an important Quidditch match.

They did not have to walk very far before they were pulled aside by grim looking security. They were led to a security desk with odd looking scales, behind which a badly shaved wizard looked nervously at them. 'Sorry about this, Arthur,' he said apologetically. 'You understand.'

Her father didn't say anything, but the security that had pulled them over now pushed them against the wall, patting them down and sweeping a probity probe over every inch of their bodies.

'You're a pretty one,' said one of them quietly as he swept the probe up the inside of her leg. Her disgusted expression only made him wink.

'Wand, please,' one of them said, stretching out a hand.

She looked uneasily at her father. Handing over her wand didn't seem like a good idea. Arthur, however, gave a short nod, his face stony.

Her wand was dropped into the odd instrument, which began to vibrate with a quiet clatter. From the base, a slip of parchment came out, which the badly shaved wizard tore off smoothly.

'Fir, eleven inches, dragon heartstring, been in use five years?' She nodded, and he threw it back to her.

'Good luck,' he said.

'Do I need it?'

He simply shrugged. Her father led her away through the crowded atrium. The chatter of the workers buzzed in her ears, and she found herself focusing very hard on trying to look unperturbed by the threatening atmosphere of the place. Arthur checked her letter as they stepped into a lift.

'It looks like you're in the Apparition Test Centre, that's on level six, I think.'

The test centre had been filled with small, temporary desks, the kind Ginny had only ever seen in exams. The entire room, at least half the size of the Great Hall, was a flurry of activity, with huge queues of teenagers lining the walls and tired looking Ministry workers behind every desk. The sheer number of people made the room hot and sticky; students were fanning themselves with documents and the Ministry workers had charmed parchment into oriental style fans which hovered and fluttered near their faces.

'It just isn't good enough,' a nearby worker was saying, red in the face. 'This isn't proof.'

'What does count as proof?' asked the student opposite, her voice shaking with desperation. 'What do you want me to do?'

'Were we supposed to bring documents?' Ginny asked her father quickly.

'Don't worry,' he said, reaching into his inside pocket. 'I have your birth certificate and some photos here. Kingsley did warn me.'

'They didn't tell us to bring that stuff though, did they? They barely said what to expect.'

'It's been a nightmare, honestly,' came a voice. She turned to see Ernie Macmillan queuing just in front of her. 'Terribly unorganized. I've been here for an hour and a half already, this isn't a queue – they call out your name when they want to see you. I mean, what was the point of individual appointments if they're just going to keep us waiting anyway? I personally think there's been a distinct lack of oversight for the entire operation.'

Her heart sank and she looked up at her father. 'Do you need to go?'

'Yes, I'm sorry,' he said, his face crumpling. 'I have to get to the office, you come straight up to me when you're done though.' He handed her a bundle of documents, and reluctantly left the room, leaving her with Ernie and the hundreds of other students.

'How are you, Ernie?' she asked distractedly, trying to make conversation.

'Oh, you know,' he said, waving a hand airily. 'Same as everyone else. I was hoping to see… Er… No, that would be silly, wouldn't it?'

'Yes,' she said firmly, knowing exactly who he had been hoping to see. 'No one's heard from him.'

A wailing noise caught their attention, and they looked across the room to see a girl sobbing at a desk, with an awkward looking security wizard trying to tug her away.

'Merlin's beard,' spluttered Ernie. 'That's Sally-Anne!'

'Who?' asked Ginny, watching with horror, but Ernie didn't answer straight away. He seemed transfixed by the scene.

'It's not a problem,' the Ministry worker was saying to Sally-Anne soothingly. 'You just need to be processed by the Muggleborn Registration Commission.'

'Sally-Anne Perks,' said Ernie faintly. 'She's in my year, my house… She's Muggleborn.'

Ginny's stomach lurched, and she stared at the tearful blonde girl, now being led into a different room by security. As the door opened, she caught a glimpse of another room, similar to this, filled with adults, many of which were in Muggle clothes.

'Stupid girl,' Ernie was muttering, his chin shaking. 'Stupid, stupid girl. We told her, Justin and I, we said she should get out while she could, Justin's gone already…'

'Where do you think they're taking her?' asked Ginny.

'All the Muggleborn's they've found have been taken through there,' said another boy, who had clearly been listening in on their conversation. 'None of them have come back through yet.'

'How long have you been waiting, Euan?' asked Ernie curiously.

Euan shrugged. 'A few hours.'

Ginny sighed, and sat on the grimy, threadbare green carpet, leaning against the wall. 'Might as well get comfy then.'

It was a horribly long wait. The heat was stifling; students that were of age were conjuring cups of water to go round but they simply weren't quick enough to keep up with demand. Every half an hour or so traumatic scenes of a student being led through the same door as Sally-Anne would capture her attention, but for the most part utter boredom was the dominant emotion; frustrating and exhausting and uncomfortable.

'Are all the students here?' asked Ginny hoarsely, hoping to find someone she knew better to talk to.

Ernie shook his head, yawning. 'Just Hufflepuff's A to M and Gryffindors M to Z. I think. Merlin knows how they thought up the system.'

She felt disappointed that she would not see Neville or Luna, but looked around, hoping to spot Demelza. She spotted a russet ponytail that she thought might belong to her, but the student was already talking to a Ministry worker at a rickety table on the far side of the room. Euan was called over, and perhaps forty minutes later so was Ernie, leaving Ginny to lean her head back against the wall and scrunch her eyes shut.

The chatter of the hall merged into a droning buzz, and she found herself picturing the lake in glorious sunshine. She could see his hands, playing delicately with her own, softly raising interlocking fingers against a deep azure sky, the smell of the grass and the feel of his chest moving with laughter surrounding her with joy…

'Weasley, Ginny.'

She opened her eyes and stood up, staggering a little. She glanced at her watch and realized she must have been dozing for at least an hour. Feeling slightly embarrassed and rather dazed, she followed a petite witch to one of the desks and sat down awkwardly, a little worried about their knees touching.

'Now,' said the witch briskly. 'Do you have any documentation with you?'

'Er… Yes, my birth certificate.'

The witch glanced down at it. 'Mmhm… And you can confirm that this is yours?'

'Yes.'

'Oh, look, and it's your birthday tomorrow!'

'That's right.'

'Well, happy birthday! Okay, you can go.'

'I- what?' Ginny stared at her. She was already marking her name off a clipboard. 'Are you serious?'

'Well, you're a Weasley, aren't you? Well known Purebloods.'

'Yes, but… That's all? After over three hours of waiting?'

'Collect your blood status card on the way out,' said the witch, getting up from her seat.

Ginny had not wanted to be interrogated. She had no desire to sit and be grilled with endless questions about her family tree, and she certainly did not want to be in this crowded room any longer. Yet there was something extremely annoying about the anti-climax, and she didn't want to leave without at least something to angrily report back to Fred and George.

'Where are you taking all the Muggleborns?' she asked the witch quickly.

She flushed, looking shiftily over at security. 'They just have to go through a separate process for their cards. Through there. Muggleborn adults have to register too.'

'But why?' demanded Ginny. 'Why do we even need cards in the first place?'

The witch looked down at her, then back at security, then to her clipboard. 'Look,' she said in a low voice. 'I'm friendly with your father. Just be grateful I've authorized you, all right? You could have been here a lot longer.'

She stalked off, looking for the next student on her list. Ginny left the room, wondering if she had dreamed the entire encounter. On her way out, she stopped by another security desk and was given a small, rectangular card with her photo on it.

iGINEVRA WEASLEY: PUREBLOOD

CONFIRMED 09 AUGUST 1997/i

'Keep that with you at all times,' advised the wizard who handed it to her. 'Losing it could get you into quite a sticky spot.'

'What do the Muggleborns get?' Ginny asked coldly.

'Never you mind,' he said, turning to the next student.

'Ginny! Ginny!' Just ahead of her, Pavarti Patil was gesturing to her frantically. She hurried over, and Pavarti embraced her dramatically. 'Oh, Ginny, I've been so worried! How are you all, how's-'

'Everyone's fine,' said Ginny shortly, conscious that security was watching them. 'How are you and Padma?'

'We're fine, but we couldn't believe what was written about Harry in the-'

Ginny hushed her desperately. 'Come on,' she muttered. Walk with me to my Dad's office, you can Floo from there.'

'Is he okay though?' whispered Pavarti as they linked arms and walked swiftly towards the lifts.

'I don't know, probably,' said Ginny through gritted teeth, glancing around anxiously. 'He dumped me at the funeral, remember?'

'Oh, right, of course,' said Pavarti looking shocked. 'I mean, I thought that was just…'

'No, it's true,' said Ginny pointedly. 'Exactly as Hermione told you, understand?'

The golden grille slid shut in front of them, but they were not alone in the lift. Other exhausted students were staring at Ginny; she could almost see the questions forming on their lips. She wondered if this was how Harry had felt all these years.

'I didn't realize he was so mean,' said Pavarti, still sounding very uncertain.

Something was aching in Ginny's chest. 'Yeah… Well… Men, eh? They can be very cruel.'

They reached level two, and Ginny guided Pavarti out. The lift rose away with a shudder, and Ginny realized that for the first time they were alone in a deserted corridor.

Pavarti had clearly realized too. 'I'm not stupid, Ginny. I wasn't stupid when Hermione tried to convince us, and I'm not stupid now.'

'You clearly are,' snapped Ginny. 'I mean, what are you playing at, talking like that in front of people? There's a reason he left me, and he did leave me, just not in the way we're trying to tell everyone. If you want to keep me and my family safe, you have to keep telling everyone that story.'

'No one believes it,' Pavarti said, looking very offended. 'No one that knows him. It's just not like Harry to do that.'

'I don't care,' Ginny hissed furiously. 'As long as everyone repeats the same gossip around Death Eaters and Slytherins, I don't care if they believe it.'

There finally seemed to be some understanding in Pavarti's face, her eyes were welling with tears. 'He's not coming back, is he? I was looking for him today, but he didn't show. And Lavender had her interview a couple of days ago and said Hermione wasn't there. And your brother,' her eyes suddenly widened with realization. 'He's not here either!'

'No, they're not coming back,' said Ginny irritably.

'But… They're supposed to…' Pavarti looked terrified. 'He's meant to be our leader. Like in fifth year.'

'Well, he's not going to be,' said Ginny bluntly. 'You'd better look like we've been gossiping about Lavender or someone. We're nearly at my dad's office.'


	9. Chapter 9

'Do you have everything?' her mother asked quietly. She nodded. 'You stay safe,' her mother ordered, and she nodded again. There was a silence, and then they hugged fiercely, for longer than seemed natural.

'I'll be fine, Mum,' she said, and her voice cracked. 'It'll be fine.'

Her mother was crying, and Ginny's hand was gripping the back of her robes tightly, but Arthur gently pulled them apart. 'We're going to be late if we don't leave now,' he said softly.

Ginny nodded yet again, biting the inside of her cheek, and lifted Crookshanks' carrier. Arnold scurried up from her pocket to sit on her shoulder. Bill was taking her trunk for her. She glanced at the kitchen table, where the newspaper still lay open. The horrifying news of Snape's promotion to Headmaster had almost made her unpack her things and refuse to go; she couldn't bear to see his unpleasant smile in print, and the thought of seeing it in real life made her shake with rage. There was, however, no choice.

They Apparated to a dirty alleyway near Kings Cross. She could smell rain in the air. Rain and cigarettes and cheap food. A rat, startled by the appearance, ran nimbly away and slipped into a drain. Arnold hid at the back of her neck, hidden under her hair and squeaking quietly. She gritted her teeth and walked with her father and brother, out into the city.

The Muggles around them were blissfully unaware that anything was wrong. Concerned with work and tube strikes and unreliable politicians, they hurried by with distracted, serious faces, looking straight past Ginny and her odd assortment of luggage. Even Bill's scars weren't getting a second glance. Crookshanks mewled unhappily in his carrier, but he was ignored as they walked past the beautiful station of St Pancras, just across the road to King's Cross. She looked up at the large clock face to check they weren't late, and saw a dark shadow swooping ominously around the gothic brickwork.

'Dementor!' she gasped, gripping Bill's arm.

He looked up grimly and winced. 'Yeah… They're all over London these days.'

He pulled her back towards Kings Cross, and they hurried inside, awkwardly pushing through a large group of German tourists and searching anxiously for any recognizable magical folk. They reached the barrier between platform's nine and ten, and walked straight at it. Ginny certainly couldn't be bothered with the Statute of Secrecy right now, and apparently neither could Bill or Arthur.

The noisy and crowded platform filled Ginny with a rush of familiar comfort, the scarlet train shimmering through the steam. Bill embraced her, kissing her firmly on the head. 'I'll go put your trunk on the train,' he said roughly, before disappearing into the thick crowd.

Ginny turned to her father. 'You'll look after Mum, won't you?'

He laughed. 'She's the one looking after me. We'll write as often as we can. Read the letters carefully.'

'I will.' She threw her arms around him, a bizarre and horrible thought that this might be the last time she saw him striking her quite unexpectedly.

'Don't go making trouble around Snape,' he said.

'Of course I will,' she said thickly. 'I'm a Weasley.'

'I mean it, Ginny. My priority is getting my family through this war.'

She looked up at him, noticing how much older he looked. 'We will get through it, Dad. I'm safe at Hogwarts, even with Snape there.'

He nodded and hugged her tightly again. 'Well, don't get caught,' he ordered fondly.

Bill returned, and eleven o'clock was fast approaching. Parents began helping their children onto the train, and Ginny reluctantly did the same. The doors were unusually crowded; goodbyes were stretching for far longer than usual, so she moved quickly into a compartment and opened the small hatch at the top of the window, sticking her face awkwardly out to shout at her father and brother.

'I forgot to say bye to Fred and George!' she yelled above the noise. The train whistle began to screech. 'Say bye to them for me! Send them my love!'

They were shouting something back, but she couldn't hear them over the calamity of the noise. The train gave a great shudder, but children were still leaning out of windows, crying, tearful parents hurrying alongside the train gripping outstretched hands and stroking fearful faces. At the door closest to Ginny's compartment, a distraught brunette witch was sobbing as she stumbled along, her husband trying half-heartedly to hold her back.

'Samuel!' she was wailing. 'Samuel!' A fierceness crossed her face, and she surged forward. The train was gathering speed, but Ginny watched as the witch pulled a young boy out through the train door window, both of them collapsing onto the platform floor. She saw a rush of people gather around them before the train turned a slight corner, and they were hidden.

From the corridor, children were shouting and crying hysterically. Ginny fought her way through the crowd to the train door, where the window was still open, brutalist-style London buildings flashing past as they left the city. A disgruntled tawny owl was flapping and screeching in a knocked over cage by the door. Ginny righted it, and then turned to the tearful children behind her. They looked like first years, certainly no older than second years.

'Did that woman just pull her son off the train?' she asked them. They all began talking at once, nodding and gasping through tears. She hushed them, trying to display a kind of calm authority. 'Did any of you know him personally?'

'No, we only just met,' sniffed a girl. 'Why did she do that?'

'I don't know, I suppose she was just a bit silly,' said Ginny awkwardly. She was not really sure how to talk to eleven-year-olds. They seemed so little, but she was sure that she sounded patronizing.

'Is Hogwarts going to be dangerous?' asked a curly haired boy, who was pale and shaking. 'I heard a bigger kid saying it would be, and then that boy just got pulled off the train at the last minute, and-'

'No,' said Ginny firmly. 'That bigger kid was probably just trying to scare you. And I'm sure Samuel will get to Hogwarts a different way once his mum's calmed down.'

She ushered them into a compartment and spoke quietly to them a bit, introducing them to Arnold and encouraging them to let him run up their arms. When they seemed a bit calmer and the concrete buildings began to fade into open countryside, she gave a friendly goodbye and left in search of her own friends.

Her face returned to a grim expression as soon as she was out of the compartment, and she hurried down the train, painfully aware of people staring at her as she went. She found Neville, Luna and Seamus in a compartment towards the back of the train, all huddled together and whispering. Luna was nodding her head solemnly.

'Ginny!' Neville's face flooded with relief as she slid open the compartment door. 'We weren't sure if you'd be here.'

She embraced him warmly and attempted an encouraging smile. Luna waved happily and Seamus gave a short nod. He looked close to tears.

'Is Dean not coming back this year?' she asked him quietly.

'No,' he replied gruffly, bouncing his leg nervously. 'No, he's run for it.'

'Smart guy,' said Neville. 'I hope all the Muggleborns have. I expect they all ran for it as soon as the Ministry started changing.'

'Not Sally-Anne Perks,' said Ginny, and she told them about the events at her interview.

She had been worried that it would contribute to Seamus's anxiety, but oddly he looked a little calmer. 'She always was a bit dim, that girl,' he said. 'She slept through her Defence O.W.L according to Justin. As long as Dean keeps a few steps ahead of her she'll be fine.'

'I hope she's all right,' said Luna vaguely. 'It can't be very nice to be arrested.'

They stared at her. 'I don't think she's been arrested, Luna,' said Ginny reassuringly.

'Oh,' said Luna, rifling through her bag and pulling out a copy of _The Quibbler_. 'I thought she would have been. It did say in the letter that you would be sent to prison if you didn't attend.'

'Yes, but… Sally-Anne was at the interview. To confirm attendance.'  
Luna gave a non-committal hum, and opened her magazine. The implications of Luna's confusion hung in the silence as they all desperately tried to remember if they had seen Sally-Anne on the platform, but Ginny could barely remember what she looked like, and Neville and Seamus both looked distressed.

'How's Ron, Ginny?' asked Neville awkwardly, clearly trying to move the conversation on.

'Ill,' said Ginny firmly. 'Spattergroit, very serious.'

'He seemed fine at the wedding,' said Luna. 'It must have been very sudden.'

'Yes, very,' said Ginny. She glared at Neville and Seamus, who were grinning widely at her.

'Ah, come on now,' said Seamus. 'We know the guy, he's gone with Harry. Hermione too.'

Ginny looked at them very carefully. 'Well, as long as you know that publically he is very seriously ill at home you can believe what you want.'

'But privately?' asked Neville.

'Privately, purely between us, yes. The three of them are off doing something.'

'Doing what?' asked Seamus.

'Keeping a low profile, I hope,' muttered Ginny.

Luna sniffed, holding a page of her magazine against the window. 'He looked very stressed at the wedding,' she said.

'Well yeah,' said Seamus, rolling his eyes. 'I imagine he would be a bit on edge.'

'Yes, I suppose so,' agreed Luna, squinting at the now opaque page. 'I was going to ask him if he was worried about You-Know-Who, but then Daddy had an argument and I had to calm him down.'

'Oh, gosh, I'm sorry, Luna, I didn't even realize there was any trouble,' said Ginny, slightly shocked. 'Who did he argue with?'

'That man, the one who was staring at you. Ron didn't like him.'

'Wasn't Viktor Krum, was it?' asked Seamus, sniggering.

'How on earth did you know that?' asked Ginny, turning sharply towards him. 'How did you know he was there?'

Seamus's face fell for a second, then filled with glee. 'You're joking?' He gave a loud bark of laughter, and Neville had joined in too. 'I was right? Merlin's arsehole…'

'Ron's complained about him non-stop for two years,' Neville said between giggles. 'He was actually there? Poor Ron…'

'I can't believe I guessed right based on that,' choked Seamus, nearly bent double. 'Nev, d'you remember? D'you remember when he was ranting and raving about him and Harry was behind him like…?' Seamus did an exaggerated mime of someone giving an apparently angry speech. 'We all knew that spiel word for word…'

Neville gave a howl of mirth, and both boys collapsed into shaking laughter, clutching their sides.

Ginny rolled her eyes and turned back to Luna, who was smiling at them serenely. 'I don't think they've laughed very much lately,' she said. 'Because none of that was especially funny.'

'I expect it's a "you had to be there" sort of thing,' Ginny replied. 'Never mind them, what were Krum and your dad arguing about?'

Ginny couldn't imagine why the two men would even be introduced, let alone how they could get onto a subject matter that would lead to an argument. The Lovegoods could be irritating with their bizarre conspiracy theories, but most people were simply unsure how to react; they rarely got angry.

'Oh, Daddy had the sign of the Deathly Hallows on a necklace for good luck, but the other man thought it was something evil. Don't worry, I took Daddy to the orchard to see if we could find some Puggletuts, and that calmed him down. It was lucky we were there when the Death Eaters started showing up. Was everyone all right?'

'Yes, everyone was fine,' said Ginny. 'They were looking for Harry.'  
Luna nodded softly. 'Yes, I expect they couldn't tell it was him because he changed his hair.'

'Well, he got away in time,' explained Ginny patiently. 'Luna, what are the Deathly Hallows?'

'Oh, you know,' said Luna, waving a hand airily. 'The objects from the Tale of the Three Brothers.'

'Ahh, that story's top class,' said Seamus, who had clearly calmed down enough to listen in on the conversation. 'It was always my favourite.'

'I preferred the Hopping Pot myself,' said Neville sagely. 'Gran had a really old copy with illustrations.'

A picture was forming in Ginny's mind, of a very old book, written in odd runes, being handed around a candlelit table…

'Hermione inherited a copy of Beedle the Bard,' she said suddenly. 'Off Dumbledore.'

'What?' spluttered Neville. 'He left her something in her will?'

'He left the three of them stuff, but it was all weird. That book, in ancient runes, a thing that puts lights out for Ron and an old Snitch for Harry.'

'An old Snitch?' said Seamus, looking puzzled. 'Was he trying to be sentimental?'

Ginny shrugged helplessly. 'Dunno. It's all very nice being sentimental but I think it would have been nicer to leave them more useful stuff. He tried to leave Harry the sword of Gryffindor too, but the Ministry said it was a historical artefact, and not his to give.'

'Now that's a bit more useful,' said Seamus.

'What would Harry do with an old sword?' asked Neville, amused. 'I don't think it would really hold up in a fight against You-Know-Who.'

'Well he used it against a bloody big snake, didn't he?' said Seamus. 'More useful than a Snitch anyway.'

'Maybe the Snitch is useful,' said Luna thoughtfully. 'Maybe all of them are useful.'

'How?' asked Seamus, looking nonplussed.

'I don't know, but I expect it is,' she said. 'Dumbledore was very clever.'

'I just think he was nuts,' said Seamus. 'That special kind of genius that's so clever it's actually just stupid.'

'I can't believe he left them stuff though,' said Neville, sounding awed.

'Well it makes sense he'd leave Harry something,' said Seamus. 'They were quite friendly, weren't they? He was always hanging round Dumbledore's office last year.'

'They had private lessons last year, that's why,' said Ginny heavily. 'Harry wouldn't tell me what about though. Said it was nothing particularly exciting… I expect it was more Defense stuff.'

Neville hesitated, then looked nervously at Ginny out the corner of his eyes. 'Ginny… I… I know that Ron's very ill, and stuff. And we all know that Harry broke your heart…'

'He was horrible,' said Seamus quickly, giving Neville an encouraging nod. To her surprise, Ginny felt a smile creeping at the corners of her mouth.

'We know that's what, you know, has _happened_ … But are they… Is Harry…?'

'He wants to know if Harry's going to defeat You-Know-Who,' said Luna helpfully.

Ginny burst out laughing. 'Thank you, Luna, very perceptive.'

'Well?' asked Seamus.

She paused, and glanced to the compartment door to check no one was loitering in the corridor. 'I think that's the aim,' she said quietly. 'But they have to find things first. I don't know. They're very secretive. It's all just pieced together really.'

'We should help,' said Neville, with a grim determination.

'What can we do?' asked Ginny dully. 'We're stuck at Hogwarts. The most we can do is make life miserable for Snape.'

'Let's do that then,' said Seamus cheerfully. 'He can't be worse than that old Umbridge hag.'

'That's it!' exclaimed Neville. 'Umbridge!'

Even Luna looked bewildered.

'Er… I didn't mean let's bring her back, mate,' said Seamus.

'No, no, the D.A! Let's reform it!'

'Oooh,' said Luna, suddenly sitting up straight and kicking her feet slightly. 'That would be fun, I'd like that!'

'A Hogwarts resistance,' said Seamus, looking impassioned. 'D'you think everyone still has the coins?'

'I still have mine,' said Ginny, and she could barely control her excitement. Finally, she could _do_ something. There were no adults at Hogwarts who could stop her, she could find a use, could be a part of something…

'I have mine too,' said Neville, grinning broadly. 'It's at the bottom of my trunk somewhere, I'm sure it is…'

'Harry was the teacher though,' said Seamus heavily. 'I don't think there's anyone left who can do Defense like him. Without him, we're not much more than a homework club.'

'Oh, sod Harry!' said Ginny, standing up. They looked up at her, shocked. 'We can't mope about all year because he's not here, we can't keep getting our strength from him! We can do it without him.'

Seamus looked a little alarmed. 'I thought that dumping you story was just, you know, what we were supposed to say. Pavarti told me with a bit of a nod and a wink.'

Fury flamed up in Ginny, and she breathed sharply through her nose. 'I'll give her a bloody nod and a wink, the idiot, I was counting on her to be a reliable gossip!'

'I don't think it is true,' Luna told Seamus kindly. 'Harry stared at her a lot at the wedding, although he did look quite sad. But he wouldn't ditch her like that.'

'He did ditch me!' exclaimed Ginny, frustrated. She was struggling to control the temper of her voice. Why couldn't people just get it? 'But I need you lot to make it sound less like he was trying to protect me, and more like he's just a horrible bastard! And Luna, stop telling everyone he was at the wedding!'

'Oh…' said Neville, realization dawning. 'That makes sense.'

'No it doesn't,' said Seamus sharply. 'I don't know if you haven't been paying attention, Neville, but personally I'd quite like Harry Potter to run to my aid if I was in danger. The man just refuses to die! He's the best protection now Dumbledore's gone.'

Neville and Ginny exchanged glances, and she knew they were both thinking of the Department of Mysteries. 'It doesn't always work out like that,' said Neville. He hesitated. 'Plus, they… They'll go after anyone they think might have information on him, they can be very brutal if they want to know something badly enough.'

'And I don't want him to come running to my rescue! I don't want to be used as bait to trap him.'

'Like his godfather was?' asked Luna.

Seamus blinked. 'What? Harry has a godfather? I thought he just lived with those Muggles.'

'Had,' said Ginny pointedly. 'He had a godfather.'

Seamus' shoulders dropped; he looked as though he had just been slapped across the face. 'This is all much more dangerous than I realized, isn't it?'

'Which is why the D.A is more important than ever,' said Neville, gripping Seamus' arm tightly. 'Ginny's right, we don't need Harry. Not yet. But we can help him. We can keep Snape distracted.'  
'Maybe we could get information,' said Luna brightly. 'And feed it back to Harry.'

'I wouldn't know how to contact him,' said Ginny honestly. 'I…' she glanced again to the door, then whispered. 'I know where they're living at the moment, but it's not very secure and I've been warned against trying to get hold of them. Apparently they've already run into a bit of trouble. It would be good to keep our ear to the ground though,' she added as an afterthought. 'It's not just Harry who needs help, it's the whole Order.'

They busied themselves with planning, deliberating on the best way to gather old members without drawing attention to themselves, and debating heavily on whether the Room of Requirement was still safe to use. The train hurtled through bleak, grey countryside, specks of rain hitting the window erratically. Luna had becoming very serious, holding up _The Quibbler_ proudly. The front cover showed a picture of the Ministry's new statue, with the headline _NEW REGIME THREATENS MUGGLEBORNS_ in blood red letters.

'Daddy's going to report important things. He was horrified when he saw what they'd written about the night Dumbledore died. He's never forgotten how much the readership went up when he did that interview with Harry and Rita Skeeter, and _The Quibbler_ will show complete loyalty once again, no matter what others say.'

Seamus blushed heavily. 'Oh, God, don't remind me, I'm still so…'

There was a deafening screech, and the train juddered so violently that Neville and Ginny were flung off their seats; Seamus braced himself and Luna against the window.

'Did we hit something?' gasped Ginny, sitting up and rubbing her head. 'Why have we stopped?'

'Should we do something?' asked Seamus uncertainly.

'Do what?' asked Neville, wincing as he stood.

'Maybe it's Dementors again,' said Luna. 'Like before.'

They could hear shouting and banging. A muffled clattering noise suggested that someone had opened the train door nearest to their compartment, but it was several minutes before someone came bursting into their compartment, sobbing.

'Demelza?' said Ginny, shocked. 'What's going on? What's happened?'

'D-death Eaters!' she cried, rushing into Ginny's embrace. 'They're searching the train.'

Seamus got his wand out at once, but Neville turned sharply and ordered him to put it away. 'Demelza,' he said, a remarkable amount of authority in his voice. 'Are they hurting anyone?'

She shook her head, sniffing loudly, but at that moment the compartment door slid open with slam, and she gave a shriek and burst into tears again.

A cheerful Stan Shunpike looked down at her. 'Don't worry,' he said kindly. 'I ain't here to hurt yah.'

'You!' spat Ginny viciously. She couldn't control herself. She had managed to stay calm at the wedding, but seeing him again…

Stan looked surprised, and to her astonishment, a little hurt. 'What?' he asked. 'I'm only looking for 'Arry Pottah.' He looked at Demelza again. 'I dunno what yah crying for.'

'She thinks you're going to hurt us because you're a Death Eater,' said Luna seriously.

Stan looked completely befuddled, then laughed. 'Oh, thems was just rumours, innit? Nah, I work for the Ministry now,' he said proudly.

'What on earth are you talking about?' asked Ginny, completely bewildered. 'You were one of the Death Eaters that interrogated my family at my brother's wedding.'

He scratched his head awkwardly. 'Oh, yeah, yeah… Yeah sorry 'bout that. I ain't a Death Eater though. We just really need to find Pottah… Have you seen 'im?' he added hopefully.

There was a long pause. 'Don't worry, Demelza,' said Seamus. 'That murderer Harry Potter will be found in no time, look, they've got their top man on the job.'

Evidently not hearing the ridiculous sarcasm, Stan stood a little straighter, smoothing down his black robes. 'They gave me anovver chance, didn't they? After them rumours when I couldn't get me job back because some Mudblood had gorn and nicked it. They put me in their new Ministry department.'

'That happens to have the same robes as Death Eaters?' asked Neville shrewdly.

Stan looked down at his plain black robes and shook his head, resembling a dog that had just got out of water. 'Listen mate, don't get cheeky. I ain't a Death Eater, all right? I ain't gonna hurt anyone. I'm in the Muggleborn Control department.'

'The _what_?' cried Ginny.

'If you're in the Muggleborn Control department,' said Luna. 'Why are you looking for Harry Potter? He's not Muggleborn.'

Stan looked confused. 'I help find lotsa people.' He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a very crumpled piece of parchment. 'I'm also looking for all these people… But Pottah's the main one.'

'Why is there a _Muggleborn Control_ department?' asked Ginny furiously. 'They're not animals!'

'It's about protecting our society, innit? Not about hurting people,' said Stan. A look of enlightenment had crossed his face. 'About making sure honest, decent folk like you 'n me don't have our jobs nicked and our taxes spent on people what don't even belong 'ere.'

'Stan,' said a gruff voice. Another man in black robes was standing at the door. 'I told you, you've got to be quicker.'

'Right, right,' Stan said, hurrying out.

'Was that… Was he the old conductor?' asked Demelza, hiccupping slightly. 'From the Knight Bus?'

'He's been completely brainwashed by the look of it,' said Neville. 'He's got no idea what he's doing.'

Seamus shook his head sadly. 'How can you not realize you're working with Death Eaters?'

'He was imprisoned falsely by the previous Ministry,' said Ginny. 'I expect it was quite easy to tell him his new colleagues were there innocently too. And at the wedding it was a mixture of Death Eaters and Ministry workers. I suppose it can be quite hard to tell them apart nowadays.'

'He seems very disenfranchised,' mused Luna, who had settled back into a comfortable position as though nothing had happened. 'I expect it's the most responsibility he's ever had.'

The train rumbled and began to move again; the grey sky outside was getting steadily darker. Neville glanced at his watch. 'We must be nearly there. We should get into our robes.'

'The trolley hasn't come round yet,' said Seamus, frowning.

'I don't think it's going to,' said Demelza sadly. 'I'd better get back to my compartment… I shouldn't have run off and left my friends like that.' With a guilty look, she slunk out.

Ginny, Luna, Neville and Seamus changed with heavy hearts. They stayed silent, none of them speaking even as the train rolled into Hogsmead station. Ginny looked up at the black silhouette of the castle against the dusky grey sky as they queued for the carriages, realizing that, for the first time, it stirred no happiness inside her.


	10. Chapter 10

The Great Hall was as beautiful as ever, but the unpleasant appearance of Snape sitting in Dumbledore's chair made Ginny feel as though she was in a bizarre and terrible dream. Demelza had joined her after they disembarked the carriages, along with the other sixth year Gryffindor girls, Zaha Alfarsi and Polly Beckett. Polly looked awkwardly at Luna, who had followed them to the Gryffindor table, and exchanged a befuddled smirk with Zaha, but Ginny deliberately scooted across to make space for her. Luna, who casually hid the Ravenclaw crest on her robes with her long blonde hair, did not appear to notice the surrounding Gryffindors' discomfort.

'You'll need to hide your tie too,' advised Neville.

'Oh, no one will pay any attention to that,' she said dreamily.

He shrugged, and looked up at the staff table. 'Look at him,' he muttered mutinously. 'Sitting up there…'

'Bloody outrageous is what it is,' growled Seamus.

'Was it definitely him though?' asked Polly hesitantly. She glanced at Ginny. 'I mean, you know I don't believe what the press said, you know I don't think it was Potter, but…'

'It was definitely Snape,' said Ginny, staring at Snape with as much hatred as she could muster. He was surveying the hall with a bored expression, paying very little attention to the staff around him. She wondered how he had looked when he murdered Dumbledore; whether that lazy expression had shown excitement, or fear, or even shame.

'We don't like Potter anyway,' said Seamus quickly, and Ginny winced at his lack of subtlety. 'Not after what he did to Ginny.'

Zaha raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. Instead, she drummed her fingers impatiently on the table and looked towards the small door at the side of the hall. 'I hope they hurry, none of us got anything on the train, I'm starving.'

'McGonagall's still up there,' said Neville. 'Why isn't she with the first years?'

Indeed, there was Professor McGonagall, looking very stern and deep in conversation with Professor Sprout. Both witches kept throwing filthy glances to Snape, and to a strawberry blonde, nasty looking woman who was sitting where Professor Burbrage usually was. She was short and plump, with piggy little eyes that were watching the students with glee.

'The Defence seat is empty,' noted Zaha. 'Maybe whoever's doing that subject this year is with them.'

Neville's face fell. 'It's always McGonagall. It's not the same without McGonagall.'

'Nothing's the same now, Neville,' said Ginny irritably. He looked hurt, but Ginny was in such a foul mood that she didn't feel the slightest bit guilty. She was missing Hermione, Harry and Ron more than ever, and couldn't stop fidgeting, adrenaline inexplicably making her legs shake.

The hall was beginning to settle; students had found their friends and were now sitting at the long tables, a low murmuring filling the hall like buzzing insects as they gossiped about Snape. There were many curious faces staring at Ginny, and she suddenly felt very uncomfortable and unsure about how to hold herself; where was the normal place to put your arms when sitting at a crowded table? She found herself silently praying that the right gossip had been spread far and wide, but rather than sympathetic expressions, most students were looking at her with an odd expectation, as though she was about to stand up and reveal Harry to the world.

A hush descended as the side door opened with an echoing clatter. A pallid-looking wizard entered, grinning widely and giving a wave to the new witch at the staff table. Ginny recognized him immediately, she could remember him throwing curses at her the night Dumbledore died, and how he had flown backwards into a wall as Harry retaliated with fury. A lump rose in her throat, and she felt oddly afraid to speak.

'That must be the new Defence teacher,' whispered Polly.

'I know him!' whispered Zaha frantically. 'He's called Amycus Carrow. He-'

She fell silent as the first years trooped in, conscious of the burning glare Snape was giving them from the high table. Carrow took out the wobbly looking stool and tattered Sorting Hat, but as the rim opened and began sing, he snatched it back up, stopping the hat at once.

An outraged chattering swept through the hall as older students awaited the Sorting song. Carrow scowled at them all, and Snape began to call for silence, but the absence of the tradition overruled any fleeting desire to obey the rules.

'What in the name of Merlin's…?' Seamus was saying angrily. 'I was really looking forward to hearing what it had to say!'

'That's probably why we're not allowed to hear it,' replied Neville, who had thumped the table with his fist. 'Remember the last few years it's been filled with stuff about uniting against darkness?'

'Yeah, we don't want the Hat talking about Dumbledore or encouraging us to fight against evil, do we?' exclaimed Ginny sarcastically. 'Not with You-Know-Who's right hand man in charge.'

Snape stood up, looking furious. He raised his wand to his throat, and hid drawling voice was magnified across the hall. 'Silence.'

He gave a sharp nod to Carrow, who grinned appreciatively and pulled out a roll of parchment. He began to call out a list of names, but Ginny was not paying attention. She stared into Snape's ruthless face, and she felt like he was staring back, but she was so far away that he was probably just staring into the crowd.

When Carrow announced 'Gardner, Samuel', there was a complete silence. No student walked forward, and confused whispers rippled down the tables.

'That must have been the kid that was pulled off the train,' muttered Ginny.

'What?' asked Demelza. She was going increasingly pale.

'Yeah, by his mum,' said Ginny, but before she could say anymore, Polly hushed her, looking urgently at the high table.

Carrow repeated the name twice more before shaking his head, and making a short note on the parchment. Snape furrowed his brow, his expression turning to disgust. With each first year sorted, the older students tried to show enthusiasm, but Ginny struggled to summon a realistic expression of excitement. The only house that appeared to be genuinely thrilled was Slytherin; the only able that also appeared to be completely full.

After the Sorting, Snape stood. The students remained silent, but only the Slytherins looked at him with any kind of respect or interest.

'Welcome to another year at Hogwarts,' he said briskly. 'I would like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Carrow, whom you just watched performing the Sorting ceremony, and his sister, also Professor Carrow,' he gestured to the blonde witch, 'who will be taking over the subject of Muggle studies after Professor Burbage's resignation.'

'Resignation my arse,' muttered Ginny. Neville grinned at her.

'Both Professor Carrow and Professor Carrow will also be taking on the joint responsibilities of Deputy Heads.'  
There were outraged gasps, and Professor McGonagall's mouth formed a thin, furious line, but Snape continued as if he had noticed nothing.

'There are a few more start of term notices, if you'll all please settle down. As always, the forest is out of bounds, as are any Zonkos or Weasley Wizard Wheezes products. There is an earlier curfew this year of 6pm for all students, after which there should be no students out of their respective dorm or common rooms. Furthermore, in accordance with new Ministry guidelines there are changes to the curriculum. Muggle Studies is now a core subject to be taken by all students along with Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Quidditch is henceforth cancelled until further notice.'

There was a huge roar of disapproval, but Snape had apparently been expecting it and merely waited until the shouting had stopped.

'As I am sure you are aware, the current political situation is tense, with many changes ahead in an effort to improve our society. If you have information regarding any students that have not attended Hogwarts this year, I urge you to speak to a member of staff as soon as possible, for their safety as well as your own. For older students, it ought to be remembered that the relationships you make with staff during your school days can be crucial in securing references for later employment, so you would do well to cooperate.'

He sat back down again, and there was an awkward silence before the tables filled with food. Students grabbed at it ravenously, many still very much annoyed at the missing sweets trolley on the train.

'Well, that was cheerful,' said Seamus, helping himself to handfuls of chips. 'He's never bloody happy, is he? Years he wanted that Defense job, and he finally got it and even looked miserable then. Now he's the Headmaster and he still looks like someone's pissed in his pumpkin juice.'

'He's awful,' said Polly. 'Just awful. I just…' Words seemed to fail her and she shook her head sadly.

'What were you saying about that new Defense teacher, Zaha?' asked Seamus.

Zaha swallowed a large mouthful of chicken before answering. 'He's evil. Evil. My Dad worked as an assistant in the Wizengamot, when he first moved here in the 80s. On his first day he realized how corrupt the place was, because this bloke Carrow was on trial for doing _awful_ things to Muggles, said he was under the Imperious curse and then they just let him go!' she stabbed at the roast potatoes furiously. 'And then what's worse is that he was given a Ministry job and my dad ended up working with him! I remember going into the office with my mum when I was little, and he kept trying to talk to me but Dad pulled me away. He hated him, never trusted him.'

'So he's a Death Eater?' said Neville, his eyes narrowing.

'Probably. He was then. But, you know, he _claimed_ he was innocent, so I don't know.'

'He tried to torture me the night Dumbledore died,' said Ginny, gripping her fork tightly. 'Harry got him with a jinx.'

'Good,' said Neville. He looked up at the staff table with distaste. 'Although bloody terrifying that he's here.'

'His sister looks nasty too,' said Ginny, glaring up at the ugly little witch. 'It's really weird that they've made Muggle Studies compulsory, and it's worrying that she's teaching it.'

'Snape keeps looking at me,' said Luna. 'I don't think he's happy that I'm sitting with you all.'

'Ignore him,' said Ginny viciously. 'He can't do anything, it's not against the rules.'

'Oh, I think it is,' said Luna. 'I just thought we were starting our D.A stuff as soon as we got here.'

'The D.A's back?' asked Demelza abruptly. 'Can I join this time? I was so jealous when I found out that you lot had been doing all that stuff.'

'Sure,' said Neville, looking very proud. 'Why weren't you in it before?'

Demelza blushed and looked meekly at Ginny. 'None of us, er… None of us believed You-Know-Who was back…'

'Don't sweat it,' said Seamus. 'If Harry forgave me enough to let me join, he'd forgive you too.'  
Demelza, Zaha and Polly all looked very relieved, and Ginny began to feel quite excited. She had never been particularly close to her dorm mates, but without Hermione here she was keen to become better friends with them.

'We should be careful though,' said Luna. 'We don't want someone revealing our secrets again.'

'You're right,' nodded Neville, looking thoughtful. 'Gryffindors only, d'you think?' Luna scowled, and Neville went pale with realization. 'Oh! I forgot! I meant-'

'I know what you meant,' said Luna coldly.

'He didn't mean it, Luna,' said Ginny swiftly. 'Gryffindors and their allies?'

Luna nodded, but still looked unusually grumpy. The rest of the meal continued on a more positive note; the plentiful food greatly improving their moods and increasing their feelings of resilience. They had noted the absence of the majority of Muggleborns, though Ginny spotted the Creevy brothers eating happily. Demelza informed her that they had managed to fake documents with her family's help, claiming that they were cousins.

'You wouldn't believe how long we were all grilled for though,' she said, helping herself to blackberry and apple crumble. 'For a while I was sure we'd all be arrested.'

'Snape must know though,' said Ginny, feeling very distressed. 'It's only a matter of time before he remembers, surely? Colin and that bleeding camera, he didn't exactly hide his background, did he?'

Demelza shrugged. 'He hasn't done anything so far. Fingers crossed, eh?'

Towards the end of the meal, Professor McGonagall approached, looking very stressed. 'Longbottom,' she said, touching his shoulder and bending slightly. Her voice was low and anxious. 'I'm sure you're aware, but both Miss Granger and Mr Weasley have not arrived. We're now short of Prefects, and I was hoping you would take on the role until Mr Weasley is back?'

'Me?' asked Neville, stunned.

'Yes,' McGonagall replied, impatiently. 'I assure you, you're quite capable. I'll be asking Miss Patil to replace Ms Granger, but I'll need you both to lead the first years to the common room even if you decide not to take on the position.'

'Er, sure,' mumbled Neville, looking very uncertain. 'But-'

'Thank you,' she said shortly, stalking off before he could protest.

'Blimey,' he said. 'Never imagined I'd get that, and certainly not like this.'

'You'll be very good,' said Luna. 'Better than Ron, I expect.'

Ginny cackled over her custard, and Seamus and Neville grinned at her appreciatively. Demelza and Polly looked stunned at the apparent rudeness, and Zaha was looking at Ginny with great concern, but Luna continued to eat her pudding, humming quite happily to herself.

When their table was dismissed by Snape, Pavarti rushed over and tugged on Neville's arm. 'Come on,' she urged him. 'We have to get to the first years. They're all terrified.'

'Pavarti,' said Ginny quickly. 'Have you been telling people? What I told you?'

Pavarti rolled her eyes. 'Are you joking? I've had to talk about it all dinner, it's been quite dull. It's not just him though, everyone wants to know if you're in touch with Hermione too. I'm sorry, but we really have to go.'

She dragged Neville away as Ginny swore. 'I didn't even think of a story for that,' she said to herself.

'So it is just a story?' asked Zaha quietly as they left the hall.

Ginny's heart sank. 'Please, Zaha. Please understand. He broke my heart. I don't want to talk about it.'

They arrived in the cosy common room just as Neville was leading a gaggle of nervous boys up to their dormitory. The fire was crackling merrily in the grate and Crookshanks was tormenting Arnold on the rug. Ginny scooped Arnold up and gave a half-hearted kick in the direction of the cat, who looked up at her with an expression that simply said, 'I know you don't have it in you to actually hurt me.'

The only sign that anything was wrong was the noticeboard, where the new rules that Snape had discussed at dinner had been pinned up, along with the 'Undesirable' poster of Harry that Ginny had seen at the Ministry. Romilda Vane and a group of giggling fifth years were gathered underneath it, and they had scribbled out the 'Un' with thick black ink.  
For once, Ginny was rather pleased that they fancied Harry so much.

She yawned widely, absent mindedly scratching Arnold on top of his fluffy body. 'I think I might go straight to bed,' she told Zaha. She had no desire to stay up repeating the same old speech about her broken heart. There was just time to warmly embrace Colin and express her joy that he was here, before she climbed the stairs and went to her familiar bed.

The pillows were soft and the blankets heavy; they seemed to prompt Ginny into realizing how exhausted and tense she had been all day. Crookshanks purred contentedly at her feet and Arnold had buried himself between her pillow and headboard. Through a slight gap in her curtains, she could see Polly sitting on the edge of her bed, elegantly pulling her dark blonde hair out of a braid and nodding interestedly at Demelza's gossiping.

'I told her, of course,' Demelza was saying, and Ginny could hear her thumping around, no doubt wriggling out of her robes. 'I knew he wouldn't be interested, but she couldn't resist-'

Ginny's eyelids were heavy… Crookshanks purrs vibrated against her feet…

'Oh, tell me she didn't embarrass herself? Good Lord, that girl…'

'I know! Honestly, she should spend less time hanging round Romilda and more time…'

Her breaths were becoming deeper… Demelza's shrill voice was fading away… The leaves in the orchard were swaying… How was she supposed to play Quidditch with a chocolate Eater egg? Utterly ridiculous… Ron and Hermione were laughing together, but Harry was flying with his back turned to her… A woman was whispering…

Her eyes snapped open, she felt alert. Her heart was thudding in her chest, but the room was still. Through the gap in the curtains, Polly's face was peaceful and still, ghostly pale in the moonlight. She felt uncomfortable and frightened, unsure of why she had woken so abruptly only a few hours after falling asleep.

A rough pair of hands grabbed her legs fiercely, and she was so stunned that all she could do was gasp. Crooshanks yowled and leapt high in the air, hissing, suddenly she could hear Zaha screaming and Demelza yelling, and Polly's face was watching her, horrified, as she was dragged out of bed onto the hard floor boards, hitting her head on the bedside table with a blinding smack.

She was still tangled in her bedsheets, and the dark figure looming over her was trying to drag her away, she was kicking at them and yelling and trying to get up but the figure was strong and persistent and she could hear her dorm mates screaming her name as she was hauled painfully down the stairs.

In the light of the common room, she could see the reddish-blonde hair and pock-marked cheeks of Alecto Carrow, her stubby fingers gripping tight around Ginny's ankles. Her face was pulled into a sneer; she seemed to delight in the noises the girls were making, and now the other Gryffindors were coming down, bleary-eyed, to see what was going on.

'Squirmy little thing, aren't yeh?' Carrow cackled. She finally released Ginny, but threw a painful kick at the base of her spine.

Another, deeper laugh sounded, and Amycus Carrow stepped forward into Ginny's sight, pointing his wand at her face. " _Crucio_."

Screaming, fire, anguish, everything was pain, there was nothing anymore, there was no hope, it would never end, surely she would die this way…

It was over and she was panting, her face shivering against the carpet. She could hear other students screaming and crying, Neville was roaring swear words, she heard him run towards them but there was a bang and a thump and the Carrows were laughing even more.

'Just a little taste for yeh,' Amycus said, leering down at Ginny. 'Now, we've heard some interesting things about you and Potter...'


	11. Chapter 11

The common room was in chaos. Ginny still lay on the floor, slightly dazed, while her fellow Gryffindors screamed their fury at the Carrows. Neville was vomiting; the jinx he had been hit with rendered him helpless, and Seamus was gripping hold of his shoulders, trying to keep him sitting up.

Colin rushed over to Ginny, throwing his skinny body over hers. 'Leave her alone!' he shouted, his voice scratchy and hoarse with desperation.

'It's fine, Colin,' muttered Ginny, trying to push him off. 'Really, please, don't get yourself hurt…'

Alecto Carrow giggled wheezily. 'Listen to the smarty pants, little boy.'

Ginny took advantage of the brief distraction to look over at Romilda Vane and her little gang of gossipy girls, all of whom were crying quite dramatically. _Channel that,_ she thought urgently. _Make it convincing. You're good at lying._

The tears came easily, and she was still trembling from the curse, though she had only been under it for a matter of seconds. She guessed that she was pale too, so she was fairly confident that she looked suitably fragile enough to be convincing.

'Dating him are yeh?' Amycus asked her.

She shook her head frantically. 'No! I hate him! Please, I hate him!'

'That's not what we've heard, is it?' He gave a lopsided grin to his sister, who sniggered in return. 'We've heard that you two was attached at the hip last year, snogging all over the place.'

'Is he a good shag?' screeched Alecto, clearly thoroughly enjoying herself.

Ginny felt Colin grip her arms tighter; he too was trembling. 'You shut up! You've heard horrible rumours and lies and it's not true!'

'No, Colin,' Ginny said weakly. 'There's no point denying it…'

Alecto squealed with glee, and she pulled Colin roughly away from Ginny. 'See? She knows she'll get more if she doesn't tell us the truth-'

'Ginny, what are you doing?' yelled Seamus, looking horrified. Neville was still vomiting painfully; Lavender Brown was trying her best to look after him, but seemed completely overwhelmed.

'Shut it!' ordered Amycus, pointing his wand at him. 'Unless you wanna feel it too.'

Seamus ignored him. 'Ginny, don't!'

Ginny tried her best to break down into hysterical tears, raising her hands to her face as though she were trying to stop herself. 'I have to, Seamus, I have to!' She looked up at the Carrows, who were staring at her eagerly. She felt rather like a delicious meal before two hungry pigs.

'I… I did… He…' she gave shuddering gasps, trying to choke out sobs.

'Yes,' breathed Amycus. 'That's right, come on, girlie…'

'Spit it out,' snapped Alecto.

'He used me!' Ginny howled. 'He broke my heart, I… I thought he _loved_ me, but he just laughed at me!'

'But you did date him, didn't you?' said Alecto, grabbing her again by the hair. 'Didn't you?' She slapped Ginny hard across the face.

Ginny nodded, her face stinging, trying to make her confession convincing. 'Please… Please, I hate him. He broke my heart. He's so cruel.'

'Ginny's been crying about him for months!' insisted Demelza.

'Yes!' said Pavarti frantically. 'Ask anyone! We all know it! He was so nasty!'

'Ginny wasn't the only girl either,' said Romilda quickly, tear tracks staining her face. 'He broke loads of hearts, tossed us aside like we were nothing.' Ginny almost laughed. _Really, Romilda? You're certainly brave, I'll give you that._

'Yes,' agreed Lavender, looking braver and more dignified than Ginny could have ever imagined. 'Harry used his fame and… Well, Ginny's no different to the rest of us, really, just the most recent of his conquests.'

The Carrows were looking at the other students suspiciously. Ginny kept sobbing loudly, but she was finding it hard to keep crying and continue to act frozen with fear, when all she really wanted to do was to fight back. She was also holding a strong warm feeling towards these brave, possibly stupid, women who were ready to risk torture to reinforce her story.

'What d'yeh think?' Alecto asked her brother quietly. 'They could be lying.'

'All of 'em?' said Amycus doubtfully.

'Crucio her again,' suggested Alecto.

'We're meant to go easy on the pure ones.'

'Her? She's a filthy blood traitor! She-'

The portrait hole burst open, and Professor McGonagall hurried in, looking quite deranged, in a dressing gown and fluffy slippers. 'Unhand her!' she screamed, pointing her wand at the Carrows. 'How DARE you? How DARE you?'

Zaha was trailing tearfully behind her; Ginny was stunned, she hadn't noticed anyone sneak out. Alecto Carrow released her vice like grip on her hair, but pushed her back down to the floor.

'Get out, McGonagall! This is none of yeh business and I'm yeh senior, so bloody well sod off!'

'This is my house, these are my students! You have no right to treat them this way!'

Amycus Carrow scoffed, and threw another cruciatus curse at Ginny. She screamed and writhed on the floor, feeling pain flood through her veins and reach every inch of her body. When the curse was lifted, students, and Professor McGonagall, were shouting and crying again.

'You can't do nothing, McGonagall,' he gloated. 'I suggest you treat us with a bit of respect if you love your students so much.'

The portrait hole swung open once again, and Snape strolled through it, looking haughty and bored. 'One of the portraits informed me that there was trouble,' he said silkily.

'They're using Unforgivable curses on students!' said Professor McGonagall. 'A student came to me and said that Miss Weasley had been dragged out of bed and was being tortured in front of the entire house!'

Snape considered her for a moment, then looked lazily at Ginny. He acted as though McGonagall had simply pointed out some minor graffiti.

'I was not aware you were planning to question the Weasley girl so publically,' he said to the Carrows.

'Thought we'd show them who's in charge,' said Alecto proudly.

Snape rolled his eyes. 'And make a martyr out of her? Good Lord, not particularly well thought through. Come with me, Weasley, I will complete the questioning.'

'Don't go anywhere, Miss Weasley,' said McGonagall, looking at Snape with horror. 'Stay where I can see you!'

Snape rolled his eyes. 'Might I remind you that I am the Headmaster?'

'It's been quite handy questioning her in front of others, actually,' said Amycus, excitement returning to his face. 'They've been quite revealing. Apparently he's been getting plenty of girls then dumping them once he's bored… Broke yeh little heart, didn't he?' he shouted into Ginny's face. She gave her best attempt at a mournful wail.

Snape seemed unsurprised. 'If he's anything like his father, I imagine that is correct. All the same, I will take Miss Weasley and talk to her more thoroughly. I'm aware that her entire family knew him closer than most.'

He strode forward and grabbed her firmly by the arm, hoisting her up with a grimace.

'No, stop!' cried McGonagall helplessly, holding her wand limply by her side.

'Professor Carrows,' Snape said, ignoring McGonagall, 'Ensure the students return to their rooms and then retire to your rooms. We shall compare and discuss tomorrow morning.'

He marched Ginny out of the common room into the dark corridor beyond, holding her arm uncomfortably high and walking too swiftly for her to keep up.

She stayed silent, stumbling along, her heart pounding. She could remember Harry, looking ill and tired, rubbing his head, completely exhausted after Occlumency lessons. She remembered him one summer afternoon by the lake, laughing about how terrible he'd been at it, how poorly he'd been able to protect his own memories and thoughts…  
'They can tell just by looking at you in the eyes,' he'd said. 'Dumbledore and Snape. That's why they stare at you, to see if you're lying.'

She felt sick. He would know. He would know instantly.

 _Grimmauld Place._

Oh God. She inwardly cursed Lupin for telling her where they were living.

 _Grimmauld Place._

She had to stop thinking about it, she had to block it from her mind. She'd asked Harry once before, how to do it, but he'd shrugged. 'He never told me how, he just expected me to do it.'

 _Grimmauld Place._

Snape turned a corner so sharply that she stumbled forward, he pulled her back fiercely. 'Keep up,' he said impatiently.  
She tried to fill her mind with other memories, memories that could be interpreted the way she wanted. Watching Harry walking down to Hogsmead with Cho, hearing Romilda giggling and fantasizing about him, watching him walking away from her, through the empty white chairs at the funeral…

They had reached the Headmaster's office. Snape leaned forward and Ginny strained to hear him as he murmured 'Cokeworth' at the gargoyle, which let them through at once. Ginny through it a nasty glance, remembering how it had once had the backbone to lock Umbridge out of the room.

Ginny had not been in the Headmaster's office for quite some time, but she was surprised at how similar it was. She had expected Snape to fill it with all manner of ghastly things in jars and dusty old books, or at least make the room darker somehow, but it was still full of Dumbledore's odd instruments and snooing portraits. Dumbledore himself was snoring quite loudly, the moustache above his great white beard fluttering with every breath.

Snape left her standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, and sat behind the desk. He stared at her. She suddenly felt very self-conscious, standing there in her slightly too short pyjamas. 'Can I sit down?' she asked aggressively.

'If you wish,' he said, still staring coldly at her.

She sat in the chair opposite, and stared back, thinking deliberately hard about Harry walking away from her at the funeral.

'I too, have heard the rumours,' he said to her. 'Miss Parkinson informed me as we were leaving the hall. But you're forgetting that I, unlike Professors Carrow, was present at the school during your…' his lips curled into an unpleasant grimace. '…Relationship.'

'Then you'll know how shocked and devastated I was when he left me,' Ginny replied coolly, still trying to think very hard of Harry walking away.

He stared at her for a long time. 'Do you know where he is?' he asked. 'Don't bother lying to me, I'm sure your breakup is about as genuine as the boy's modesty, but quite frankly I don't care. Where is he?'

Ginny shrugged. 'I don't know. No one's heard from him.' She was feeling unnerved by his staring, and Grimmauld Place kept floating to the front of her mind, so she looked around the room distractedly. Her eyes settled on a display case, resting on a rickety looking desk.

'That's the sword,' she said without thinking. 'It shouldn't be here.'

She suddenly remembered where she was, and looked back at Snape, whose expressionless face hadn't changed. 'And where should it be, Miss Weasley?'

She didn't answer, but stared right back at him. She found herself thinking inexplicably of the Chamber of Secrets, and the great corpse of the basilisk, and the sword, glinting through blood and dirty water.

'What has Potter told you of his plans?' asked Snape.

'Nothing. I haven't seen him in ages.'

'I know he was staying with you during the summer,' said Snape dangerously.

'Yes,' said Ginny hotly, feeling a rush of stupid bravery. 'He helped tend to my brother, he lost an ear.'  
'How unfortunate,' said Snape dryly. She wanted to punch him in his stupid face.

There was a long silence again. Ginny huffed. 'Aren't you going to torture me or something?' she spat at him.  
'It's not worth my time,' he said delicately.

'But sitting in silence is?'

He smirked. 'Your eagerness to fill the silence gives me the information I need.'

Her stomach gave a lurch as she thought about the stupid things she'd said. There was another achingly long pause.

'Can I go?' she asked.

He checked his watch. 'No.'

She shivered. Her bare feet were numb with cold. Snape continued to stare at her, and she didn't know where to look or what to do. She had been expecting more pain and shouting, but this agonizing silence was rather intimidating, and she had no idea if she was doing the right thing.

There wasn't even a clock ticking. The silence was unbearable. Did the man even breathe? Her mind kept trying to drift to happy memories of Harry, but she pulled them back, focusing firmly on how he had left her.

'Why do you keep looking at the sword?' he asked abruptly.

'What? I'm not.'

'You are, I don't think you even realize it. What is it about it that's drawing your attention?'

She shrugged. 'Interesting object, I guess.' Did he know? Did he know it had been left in Dumbledore's will? She tried not to think about it at once, choosing instead to think about Quidditch. _Focus on Quidditch._  
Harry had been the youngest Seeker in a century.

 _Stop._

She sighed, and he raised his eyebrow. 'Tired?' he asked. His dark eyes bored into her, but she refused to meet his gaze. She felt rather sulky, no doubt because of her exhaustion.

'Well, yes, it's about three in the morning.'

He checked his watch again. 'Not quite. But I would like you to leave now. Be warned, Weasley. We are watching you very closely for any sign of knowledge or contact with Potter.'

When she left the office, he stood by the gargoyle, and she could feel his eyes on her back as she walked down the dim corridor. She felt confused and unsettled; much like her interview at the Ministry she had been expecting far worse than mild questioning and uncomfortable silences, so she was wondering if she had missed something. Had she said something she shouldn't have? Had she revealed knowledge she wasn't even aware of? Had he been reading her mind like Harry had warned her about?

Demelza, Zaha and Polly were waiting for her in the dormitory, relief washing over their faces as they saw her enter.

'Are you all right? You've been gone for nearly two hours!'

'What happened?'

'He didn't hurt you more did he?'

'I'm fine,' she told them reassuringly. 'Honestly. He just asked me some questions.' She slipped back into bed, ignoring their stunned expressions.

'So… you're OK?' asked Zaha hesitantly.

'I'm fine,' Ginny repeatedly patiently. 'Just very tired. Thank you for running to get McGonagall, I didn't even notice you leave.'

She nodded uncertainly, pushing her lips to the side in an awkward grimace. 'Yeah, I suppose… I just sort of left quietly and nobody noticed… That reminds me, I said I'd tell the boys when you were back. You're sure you're OK?'

Ginny smiled and nodded. 'Absolutely. Give them my love and thanks, I'll see them in the morning.'

They had only a precious three hours of sleep before their alarm clocks began rudely singing, and dragging herself out of bed was perhaps the biggest challenge Ginny had faced so far. In the bustle of the morning rush, it was clear to see that very few Gryffindors had been able to have a decent night of sleep; most seemed pale and sickly looking, with dark circles around their eyes and wide yawns punctuating mindless chatter. Ginny was hugged fiercely by many; especially Colin, Neville and Seamus, who seemed to have taken it upon himself to look after her.

'Ron's not here to do it,' he said. 'So Neville and I will step up to make sure you're all right.'

'Thanks, Seamus,' she said politely, though she could not help herself from remembering how irritatingly overprotective Dean had been. Hopefully Seamus would not view her as the delicate little flower that Dean had seen her as.

New sixth years were required to speak to their Heads of House about their N.E.W.T. options, but Professor McGonagall seized the opportunity to check Ginny was safe and well.

'Do you need to go to the hospital wing?' she asked in a low voice. 'I can help you find a reason if you want to be checked over.'

'No, don't worry, I feel fine,' Ginny said. 'Nothing happened to me after that. Snape just asked me a few questions and then I was free to go.'

'Well, thank goodness. I'll keep an eye on you, Miss Weasley, I should think that will be the end of it, but please remember that you ca always come straight to me, day or night, if you feel you are in danger.'

'Do I really have to do Muggle Studies?' Ginny asked quietly. She had been planning on taking it anyway, but now that Professor Burbage was gone…

'I'm afraid so,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Everyone must now. But you could drop Defence Against the Dark Arts…?'

'No,' said Ginny firmly. 'It's tempting, but… He should only be there a year anyway…'

McGonagall gave a sly smile. 'If history is to be believed.'

She was handed her timetable, and was pleased to see that she did not have to face either of the Carrows until tomorrow. Word had clearly spread among the staff about the events of last night, for the Gryffindors seemed to be given points for the smallest of things, and neither Flitwick nor Slughorn appeared to notice various students dozing off in the middle of classes. Slughorn himself handed Ginny a small packet of crystalized pineapples, inviting her loudly to his next 'little gathering' as they entered the class.

The classroom itself had a glorious scent, which seemed to come from a bubbling cauldron with sensuous coils of steam rising high above the blackboard. Ginny inhaled it deeply as Sulghorn gathered them round the golden cauldron, feeling as though she could lay on the floor and allow it to entice her into sleep.

'Who can identify this for me? Anyone?'

There was a slight pause, before a Ravenclaw named it as Amortentia. Something clicked in her mind, and she found herself blurting out 'Ron!' before turning as red as a tomato. Everyone stared at her. 'I only meant… My brother Ron, last year…'

Slughorn's mouth formed an 'o' and he clicked his fingers impatiently in the air. 'Of course, of course, I remember, yes, no wonder you recognize it, Miss Weasley. What happened to your brother is a perfect example of how dangerous this potion can be. Miss Weasley's brother, er… Ron was it? Yes, that's right, Ron unfortunately consumed some rather out of date Amortentia, which is a potion designed to simulate love. It causes obsessive infatuation, rather than the real thing of course, and sadly poor Rupert was very badly affected.'

'It was intended for someone else,' interjected Ginny, and the students in the room that knew the story giggled.

'Indeed,' said Slughorn. 'But it is a demonstration of how powerful the potion can be. It was quick enough for me to rustle up an antidote, of course, but had Miss Weasley's brother not been take to me at once there could have been disastrous and I daresay embarrassing consequences. Now…'

He moved on to discuss the other potions, but his voice seemed to fade into the background as Ginny stepped closer to the golden cauldron. She closed her eyes and breathed in the fragrant air. The leathery smell of a Quaffle, the sweetness of the orchard at home, the warm scent of Harry's jumper…

Her heart ached and she imagined herself running from the classroom, bursting into a teacher's office and seizing a handful of Floo powder. She could see the rush of green flames and the dusty floor of Grimmauld Place spinning into view, and then he would be there, and he would help her up, and they could take their brooms and head to the orchard, or the lake, or somewhere else isolated and quiet.

A warm hand wrapped itself gently around her wrist, and she opened her eyes to see Luna looking up at her with a serene smile, her eyes wide and cheerful.

'I smell daffodils and ink,' she whispered happily. 'What about you?'

'Is that all, Luna? I would have thought you'd smell something a little more off the wall.'

'Well, I can't identify the other smell. I suspect it may be a creature I haven't yet come across,' Luna replied.

Ginny had never been more grateful for the company of a good friend. By dinner that evening, she was feeling almost cheerful, and broke into a wide grin when Neville leaned across the roast potatoes to tell her that almost everyone had located their coins, and that Terry Boot had agreed to learn the Protean charm for more coins, were they to recruit new members.

'This is so exciting!' Ginny exclaimed delightedly. 'Can we use the Room of Requirement again do you think?'

'Well, we might not need to,' said Neville. 'I had a Defence lesson today, and Carrow was ranting and raving because the Fat Lady has changed the password already, and Professor McGonagall said she didn't know what it was. He was trying to get it out of us, but we all pretended we didn't know too.'

'Blimey, was everyone all right?' asked Ginny. 'And what is the password? I didn't realize it had been changed.'

'Oh, it's _tonitrui_. She changed it as soon as you got back last night, I think MacGonagall told her to. And yeah, it was fine, he threw a few books at us and Seamus got a bit gobby-' he jerked his head towards Seamus, who was sitting several seats down the table and sporting a nasty looking black eye, '-but nothing last night. How are you doing?'

'Fine,' Ginny said briskly, who was getting rather tired of discussing it. 'We don't want people getting beaten up though, we have to be clever about it.'

Neville shook his head. 'You didn't hear him… Anyway, I think for a little while at least we could use the common room.'

'But… What about Terry? And Luna,' she remembered, wide eyed. Sometimes she forgot that her best friend was in an entirely different house. 'There are loads of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs.'

Neville shrugged. 'We can trust them to come in I think. The only risk is the curfew, but everyone seems prepared to take the risk.'

She couldn't help the grin spreading across her face. 'This is fantastic. When should we have the first meeting, d'you think?'

'Why are you asking me?' he said, looking alarmed.

'Well, you're Prefect, aren't you?'

He blushed. 'Well… Yeah, but… You're the closest to Harry, so I dunno, I just thought.'

'Let's decide together,' she said kindly, reaching into her bag. 'It should be a lot easier without Quidditch to plan around.'

'That's true,' admitted Neville. 'Never thought about it that way, I was just gutted that there wasn't going to be any.'

'There's always a silver lining, Neville.'


	12. Chapter 12

_UNDESIRABLE INFILTRATION AT MINISTRY_

 _Ministry workers were yesterday left shaken after imposters, thought to be Potter and unknown accomplices, infiltrated the Ministry in a presumed assassination attempt. The alarm was raised when workers noticed that an office door of a senior Ministry official had been maliciously tampered with._

 _Severely injured workers were found outside the Ministry itself, and it is believed that hair samples were forcibly taken in an attempt at a disguise using Polyjuice potion, though witnesses claim that one of the imposters was referred to as 'Harry' at several points. The identity of the other imposters are otherwise unknown, though there are suspicions that one of the accomplices may be Hermione Granger, a fugitive Mudblood closely associated with Potter._

 _Head of the Department of Law Enforcement, Mr. Yaxley, stated, 'we are doing everything in our powers to identify and apprehend the culprits, believed to be Undesirable No. 1 and associates. The public should be warned that Potter is a dangerous and vengeful individual, who is suspected of turning on his old friend and mentor Albus Dumbledore and now seeks to destablise our government through the assassination of innocent Ministry officials. Through the bravery and quick thinking of Ministry workers thankfully there were no fatalities, but a large number of suspected criminals were able to escape during the confusion, and may have now joined Potter's ranks. The public is reminded of the ten thousand galleon bounty available for the capture of Potter, as well as generous rewards available for any who may have information pertaining to his whereabouts.'_

 _Law Enforcement officials were able to trace the infiltrators to an address in Islington, believed to be owned by Potter. However, upon arrival the perpetrators had fled. Yaxley assured the public that, 'the property will be thoroughly searched during investigations.'_

The Great Hall was alive with rumours and deep analysis of that morning's _Daily Prophet_. Ginny herself was torn between excitement that Harry, Ron and Hermione were clearly fighting the new regime, and absolute horror that they had nearly been caught. She was also distressed that Grimmauld Place had been discovered, but had confidence in Hermione's ability to make sure they would find somewhere else to hide.

'Snape looks furious,' muttered Neville.

Snape was scowling into the paper, holding a piece of dry looking toast and ignoring a chattering Alecto Carrow. Ginny grinned.

'Good,' she said. 'I'm glad his buddies at the Ministry had some problems.'

'Who d'you think Harry was trying to assassinate?' asked Colin, sounding awed.

'Colin, you muppet, they're just saying that to make him sound scary and dangerous,' said Seamus, rolling his eyes.

'Well what was he doing there then?'

Seamus shrugged. 'I dunno, but if you're going to assassinate someone, you don't do it in the middle of a packed office building, do you?'

'And Harry wouldn't kill anyone,' reminded Neville firmly.

'He could do, I reckon,' said Seamus, nodding vaguely. He seemed to zone out a little, smiling fondly. 'He could definitely find it in him to kill Umbridge.'

'He wouldn't!' exclaimed Colin, looking disgusted at Seamus. 'Not even her!'

'You weren't in our classes when the old bat was teaching us, mate. You didn't see him yelling at her. It was inspiring stuff.'

'It was,' agreed Neville, but Colin was still looking angry.

'Oh please,' said Ginny, rolling her eyes. 'Harry yelled at everyone then. I really want to know why he was there though.' She looked back at the staff table hopefully, as though Snape would stand up and announce his thoughts to the room.

'He must have wanted something,' said Neville thoughtfully. 'You don't take risks like that if you don't think there'll be some kind of reward.'

'They are looking for something… Well, multiple things, I think.' She helped herself to more sausages, frowning slightly. 'But what would be in the Ministry?'

'Information?' Colin suggested.

'Good call,' nodded Seamus. 'Plans, maybe? Or these "criminals" he helped escape, perhaps?' Students began to rise and head to their first lessons of the day, many grabbing extra handfuls of toast or the odd sausage to hurriedly eat as they went.

'Could be,' muttered Ginny, swinging her bag over her shoulder. 'But I'm sure they're looking for physical _things_ …'

'We have Muggle Studies,' groaned Colin. 'With that horrid woman. What if she hurts you again?'

'She won't,' said Ginny. 'I get the feeling they weren't supposed to go that far.'

'Well you let us know if she gives you any trouble,' said Seamus, puffing out his chest. Ginny resisted rolling her eyes again. 'And we're having the first meeting straight after dinner, yeah?'

Ginny looked at Neville, who nodded his approval. 'Yeah,' she replied. 'I'll let Luna know when I see her, and anyone else from the old crowd. Let's hold off on new recruits for the time being.'

When they reached the Muggle Studies classroom on the first floor, they found that the many wonderful and curious artefacts that were usually displayed in the room had been removed. Instead, old pictures of witch burnings were packed into every inch of wall space, and the shelves and display tables were bare and dusty. Professor Carrow stood at the front, leaning casually against her desk and smiling menacingly, twirling her wand between her fingers.

'Good morning, my lovelies,' she said. Ginny shuddered. 'Everyone take a seat… Gryffindors at the front where I can keep an eye on you, please…'

Ginny shot a disappointed look at Luna, who she was looking forward to sitting next to, and sat beside Colin instead.  
On the projector, a goofy looking man grinned idiotically at the camera, his motionless face immediately identifying him as a Muggle.

Some students began taking out their quills and parchment, but Ginny, and most of the Gryffindors, kept their arms folded on the desk in a weak attempt at a silent protest. Carrow apparently did not notice. She took the register, tutting and shaking her head gleefully when it was noticed that two Hufflepuff boys hadn't showed up. It was a large class; everyone in her year had been squeezed into the room, so the lines of desks were almost touching, making the room uncomfortable and claustrophobic. Clearly, suddenly making one of the least popular electives a compulsory subject had not been thought through.

'Psst, Weasley!' Ginny turned to see Harper, the idiotic Slytherin reserve Seeker, grinning at her nastily. 'Is it true that Potter got a shag and then scarpered? Getting quite the reputation for yourself.'

Ginny tried her best to look embarrassed and hurt as Harper's friends sniggered, but felt relief that finally rumours were taking the direction she planned. Still it wouldn't hurt to taunt him a bit. 'Yeah, well you still won't get any, Harper.'

He flushed with anger. 'Don't flatter yourself, Weas-'

He was silenced as the class began. The lesson was one of the worst Ginny had ever been through; she even found herself longing for the return of Umbridge. Horrendous caricatures of Muggles were handed out, and they were required to label their 'features' which distinguished them from wizards. Bizarre, tight fitting clothes… Stupid, gormless expressions… Poor hygiene due to lack of cleaning charms…

'This is ridiculous,' muttered Ginny to Colin.

He sighed, looking devestated. 'It's not surprising, it's all stuff I've heard before. The Slytherins seem to really believe it.'

Indeed, the Slytherins had their brows furrowed in concentration, their quills quivering as they scratched down notes with unrivalled enthusiasm. It seemed so odd to her, she could not imagine truly believing the nonsense they were being taught. She had met very few Muggles, but none of them had been stupid or cruel or dirty. Ron, Fred and George had spoken viciously about Harry's Muggle relatives, and Harry spoke very little of them at all, but it had never even occurred to her that their unpleasantness had anything to do with their lack of magic.

'Maybe they've never met any Muggles before,' she said, staring at the Slytherins, who were loudly discussing the work together.

Colin sighed again, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He looked a little ill. 'I can't do this,' he said. 'I'm going to leave.'

Ginny gripped his arm tightly. 'Colin,' she hissed. 'Be sensible.'

'Harry wouldn't stand for this,' he whispered back, shooting a nervous look at Carrow, who thankfully had her back to them as she checked a Ravenclaw's work.

'Harry's not here, is he? Just calm down.'

'He should be!' said Colin, trying to tug out of her grip. He looked utterly betrayed. 'How could he run off and leave us like this?'

'Colin!' she was furious with him, shocked at his selfishness. But she was also highly aware that they were in a crowded classroom, with a Death Eater prowling between the desks. 'I know you're upset,' she said gently. 'But you have your old coin, right?'

'Yes,' he said, looking very surpised. 'Is…? Are we…?'

'Keep an eye on it,' she replied with a smile.

There was a bang and a shriek, and the entire class froze in silence to stare at Carrow, who was pounding her fists on a desk like an enraged ape. The trembling Hufflepuff at the desk was trying to stare up at Carrow defiantly, but flinched with every bang.

'You think this is funny?' Carrow was screaming. 'I won't have this bloody cheek in my classroom! You'll do the work I set yeh, exactly as I order! Why haven't yeh written anything?'

'This is all wrong,' said the Hufflepuff, who Ginny now recognized as Sullivan Fawley. His voice was weak and his face pale, but Ginny admired his courage in the face of Carrow's unrelenting fury. 'None of this is true. I… I w-won't write it.'

Carrow seized his books and threw them at the wall, growling and screaming with such ferocity that even students nowhere near her line of sight were cowering and ducking their heads. 'Yeh bloody lucky, boy,' she roared at Sullivan, pointing a stubby finger in his face. 'If I 'ad my way I'd kick yeh bloody head in! Now do it! Do it!'

She forced his head down towards the parchment, and shouted at him until he began writing. The previously chatty class continued in thick silence, only the scratching of quills and Carrow's heavy breathing making a sound.  
Ginny watched Carrow carefully out of the corner of her eye. The Death Eater was pacing quickly up and down, glaring at the students with a volatile and suspicious expression, tapping her wand against her legs. Small red sparks shot from the end.

 _See?_ Ginny wrote on a scrap of parchment, prodding Colin to get his attention. _She's dangerous and we can't provoke her like that._

He frowned and looked cautiously up as Carrow passed, waiting until she'd paced back to the other end of the room before he wrote back.

 _We can't do nothing._

Ginny looked at her pathetic worksheet. The crude drawing of a 'Muggle' lay there like an ugly blemish.

 _We won't._

Colin gave a half-hearted smile. Ginny reached into her pocket and retrieved the galleon, changing the numbers and letters under the desk as Colin kept watch for her.

 _6PM GRYFF CMN RM_

'People in other houses don't know where the tower is,' Colin whispered.

'We'll let them know at lunch,' she breathed back. The coin went warm in her hands, and she saw Luna's hand jump to her robe pocket, before she turned to Ginny and gave a brilliant smile.

***  
That evening, the Gryffindors pushed the cosy armchairs and squashy sofa to the edges of the room, but it hadn't created as much space as Ginny was hoping for. More and more people were filing in, students from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw looking around in wonder, and were perching themselves on windowsills, desks and cupboards, stacks of chairs, and even on the floor. It was not ideal.

'I thought it was just going to be the old crowd?' she said weakly to Neville.

'It was, but people kept inviting their friends. I think it's all right though, I think we can trust them.'

'That's what we thought about Marietta.' She felt a little overwhelmed. Michael Corner gave her a sheepish wave as he settled down on a rug with Terry Boot and Anthony Goldstein, and Ernie MacMillan was talking animatedly to an uncomfortable looking Zacharias Smith. The entirety of Gryffindor house was here too; they had forgotten that everyone would be there because of the curfew, and although everyone seemed eager to join, many of the students were far too young in Ginny's opinion. Even the portraits were crammed with people, who had somehow heard all about it and were keen to watch.

Hannah Abbot carefully made her way across the room, holding her arms out to keep her balance as she stepped awkwardly through a group of fourth years sitting on the floor. 'Er… Are you three the leaders?' she asked, looking from Ginny to Neville and Luna.

'Us?' said Neville, looking surprised.

'Yeah, well, you know, you lot were Harry and Hermione's friends and…' Hannah gave a bemused little shrug. She eyed Neville's badge. 'And you are a Prefect.'

'I-I really think Ginny-'

'Go on, Neville,' said Ginny encouragingly. He was blushing heavily but seemed to stand up a little straighter. 'Tell them what we were discussing at dinner.'

He gave a short nod. 'Erm… Would you…? I'm no good at getting people's attention.'

Ginny grinned. 'Gladly. OI!'

The chatter stopped and the gathered students looked warmly to Neville, Ginny and Luna. Hannah smiled and sat crossed legged before them. They were now the only three standing in the room, though a group of second years were leaning over the balcony from the dormitories to watch.

'Right, well… Thank you all for coming,' said Neville awkwardly. He seemed to be suffering from stage fright a little, but closed his eyes, took a breath and opened them again, suddenly more confident. 'I think everyone here is aware that we're in a dangerous situation. Hogwarts is no longer safe. Dumbledore's Army was set up to help face Umbridge, but the challenges we face today go beyond that. Dumbledore's not here anymore, but we're still his army. We can still do something.'

'Are we going to overthrow Snape?' asked a small second year boy brightly, and there was a low ripple of laughter.  
Neville smiled. 'Not just yet. But we can make things difficult for him and the Carrows.'

'What's the point?' asked Zacharias Smith rudely. He looked resentful, even tearful.

Ginny didn't have the patience to offer him any sympathy. 'The point is that we can keep them busy with chaos here so  
that they can't help You-Know-Who make things worse,' she snapped. 'Plus, I had my first Muggle Studies lesson today, and they're clearly trying to brainwash us. We're not going to take that lying down.'

'It's about hope,' added Neville. 'We need to resist against them. We have to.'

'Is Potter coming back?' asked a fourth year girl softly.

'Not yet,' said Neville. 'Apparently he has stuff to do first. But as we can see from this morning's _Prophet_ , he's clearly fighting. He's doing something. And I'm sure when he's done, he'll be here to take care of Snape, and the Carrows.'

'And we're not going to sit around waiting for him to come and rescue us,' added Ginny. 'We're going to fight too.'

There was a mummur of approval, and a short first year boy stood up dramatically. 'To WAR!' he yelled, punching a fist in the air.

'Sit down,' said Seamus exasperatedly as the crowd giggled. 'Let's not get ahead of ourselves.'

'Harry taught us stuff,' said Pavarti. 'Taught us how to defend ourselves. Who here has had a Defence lesson with Carrow yet?' A smattering of hands rose. Ginny herself was not due a Defence lesson until tomorrow afternoon. 'Well, you'll all know that the defence part is missing. He's not teaching us anything, it just seems to be a history of dark arts and how wonderful they are. And Professor Trelawney said in class yesterday that ignorance would be wizardkind's unmaking.'

'We can't teach like Harry did,' said Luna softly. 'But we have it in ourselves to learn and help one another.'

'I was sort of hoping Ginny would teach us that hex, to be honest,' said Demelza.

'No, I need to know how to do a Patronus!' said Lavender quickly. 'I never really got it.'

'Look, Luna's right, we can all teach each other different things,' said Ginny, as people began to yell out requests. 'The reason Harry taught us was because he'd been through the Triwizard Tournament and killed a big snake and all that stuff. But he still wasn't a proper teacher, and loads of us have gone through dark stuff since. There's no reason we can't all help teach one another.'

'Where?' asked Zacharias again. 'In case you hadn't noticed, we're packed in like sardines.'

'Yes, this isn't ideal,' admitted Neville. 'But our needs have changed, and one thing we need to do is share information with each other. Stuff inside Hogwarts and out. That'll help your worries about ignorance, Pavarti.'

'So this will just be where we meet to have big discussions,' said Ginny. 'The Room of Requirement isn't really safe anymore, or at least we need to do some experimenting to see if it is, which will take some time. In the meantime, we'll have to teach each other in small groups. In common rooms, empty classrooms, down at the lake, that sort of thing. We'll just make sure we all stay updated at these discussion meetings.'

'My father and I are going to be smuggling in copies of _The Quibbler_ ,' said Luna. 'We're going to be reporting on what's really happening. I'll read it out in these meetings, because I think it will be hard to get in more than one.'

'How are you going to get them in at all?' asked Polly. 'They're searching all our post.'

'We have our ways,' said Luna vaguely.

'What sort of trouble are we going to cause?' asked Hannah Abbot eagerly. 'You said we were going to make life difficult for Snape and the Carrows.

'Think Fred and George,' said Ginny, and the crowd laughed again. 'But try to be careful. I don't want people getting hurt. Standing up to them in class is all well and good if you're feeling brave enough, but they're… volatile.'

'We all heard what happened to you,' said Michael, and Ginny was pleasantly surprised to see genuine concern on his face. 'It's disgusting. Terrifying.'

'Appalling!' agreed an angry looking old man in one of the portraits.

'Are you sure you shouldn't go into hiding?' asked Terry seriously. The entire room was looking at her expectantly.

'I might do at some point,' she admitted. 'But for now, I'm safest here, and I'm keeping my family safe too. Plus, Snape didn't seem keen on repeating it, so I don't think they're meant to hurt us, I think they just… lose their tempers.'

'They enjoy it,' said Neville viciously. 'They can't resist. They nearly did it to you, didn't they Seamus?'

Seamus nodded grimly, his shiny black eye prominent even in the low light. There were several gasps as people turned to look at him. 'He managed to stop himself just in time and threw a book at me instead. But they want to. They really want to.'

'All the more reason for people to be careful,' said Ginny firmly. 'Let's keep it low level for now. Dungbombs in their offices, garroting gas in their classrooms… I always liked that Fred, George and Lee got a Niffler involved. Whatever you do, make sure you don't get caught.'

'Speaking of which,' said Hannah, 'how are we non-Gryffindors meant to get back now that we've broken curfew?'  
Neville looked awkwardly at Ginny. 'Don't suppose Harry gave you that cloak?'

'That would have been nice,' muttered Ginny. 'But I expect he needs it more.'

'Are you and Harry-'

'Don't you dare even ask,' Ginny snapped at Padma, who looked affronted. 'That goes for everyone in this room. My heart's bloody well broken, got it?' They all nodded under her angry glare. 'Right, now as for getting back… Small groups will just have to leg it, I suppose.'

Hannah shrugged. 'What can you do? We'll be fine.'

Neville smiled at her, then looked back up at the room. 'Right, well, I think that's everything for now. Terry, have you sorted the new coins yet?'

Terry looked appalled. 'It's been _one_ day, give a man a chance!'

'All right, all right. Well, until Terry's sorted them, everyone make yourself aware of who in your house has coins and who doesn't. It's up to you to keep each other informed.'

'Subtly,' interjected Ginny. 'We don't want any Slytherins showing up.'

The crowd began to disperse, and with heavy scraping, furniture was replaced. 'I liked what you said,' said Luna as, with great effort, Ginny pulled a heavy armchair back into its normal position.

'About what?' asked Ginny, a little distracted and out of breath.

'About how Harry was only our teacher because of the tournament and how we could all help each other.'

'That was you that said that, Luna,' replied Ginny, rearranging the cushions.

'Yes but I hadn't even thought about why Harry had been the one teaching us. I suppose it's a good thing we're going to help each other now. There shouldn't be anymore basilisks that need stabbing with swords for us to deal with, we'll have to rely on our own experiences. Bye, Ginny, see you at breakfast.'

Ginny shook her head, amused as Luna left. She'd love to be in that head sometimes. Honestly, basilisks that needed…

It struck her like a bolt of lightning. Harry, sitting at the table in the garden, saying irritably, 'the Ministry still have the sword though, apparently it wasn't Dumbledore's to give…'

'Oh…' she breathed, holding one of the chairs cushions in a daze. Snape, demanding to know why she was so interested in the sword… Of course she hadn't realized it at the time but she'd been thinking about it all summer and couldn't keep her eyes off it… Objects, Harry was looking for objects, and he'd gone to the Ministry…

'To steal back the sword,' she whispered to herself.

'What?' asked Neville, who was stoking the remnants of the fire. 'Did you say something, Ginny?'

She spun to face him, alive with excitement. 'I have our first D.A mission.'


	13. Chapter 13

September rolled over Hogwarts with shocking pace. The days became greyer and darker with each passing evening, and the surrounding highlands took on a bleak and imposing character, looming over the cold lake. The presence of the Carrows and Snape created a bizarre and threatening tension something akin to looking over the edge of a very tall building. The atmosphere seemed to manifest itself in stressful and slow days yet blindingly fast weeks, so much so that by the time October arrived Ginny was quite distressed that the DA had made such little progress.

'We should just use the Room of Requirement,' she said huffily, pushing her quiche around her plate. 'We all need to be together, the small groups thing isn't working.'

Neville's forehead creased with worry, and he seemed almost nervous to look at her. 'But Malfoy-'

'Sod Malfoy!' She looked over at the Slytherin table. 'He doesn't seem to have it in him anymore anyway.' Much like last year, Malfoy looked pale, sickly and anxious. He was eating his lunch in isolation, turned away from a cheerful looking Pansy Parkinson, who was giggling at Goyle.

'Even so,' continued Neville, 'It's proved to not be very safe.'

'It's safer than what we have now!'

Neville was about to answer, but was distracted by the arrival of Colin, who sat next to Ginny with a flump, looking extremely irritated. 'They found the dungbombs.'

'Colin! Bloody hell, how?'

'Are you all right?' asked Neville seriously. 'Are you in trouble?'

'No,' muttered Colin. 'They don't know it was me, they just found my stash behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy.'

'In the passageway?'

'No, they've blocked it up, so I just sort of tucked them into his hood.'

'Oh, Colin!' Ginny put her head in her hands, trying not to growl. 'My brothers spent ages trying to work out how to smuggle those in for us!'

'I'm sorry,' he said miserably, helping himself to a ladle of soup. 'I just thought that if they'd blocked up all the passages, they'd stop checking there.'

'Well that's it then,' Ginny said irritably. 'We don't have a distraction for me, Neville and Luna to get into the office.'

'Don't snap at Colin,' said Neville sharply. 'He tried his best, we've had loads of problems.'

'Sorry,' she said moodily, still playing with her food. She felt as cooped up and helpless as she did at the Burrow. Communication with her family had been limited and heavily coded.

 _…We went to the old place to see if it still needed spring cleaning but of course it was completely empty, so the Cornish Pixies must have moved on to Merlin knows where…_

 _…Dad thinks he might have spotted an old friend at work, but only had a brief chat in the elevator before he had to dash, everything's been so busy these days…_

 _…Fred and George send their love, they spent ages picking you out a present as they missed you leaving, they got you some top quality broom polish in the end, it smells quite strongly though, best make sure you only open it outside…_

From what she could gather, Harry, Ron and Hermione were, to all extents and purposes, missing, which added another obstacle to her plan. How was she going to get the sword to them once she had it? The best she could think of was hiding it until her next Hogsmeade trip and smuggling it out to a family member, who would be in a better position to get it to Harry.

'I'm not sure that will work,' Neville said when she had first explained it to him. 'Nobody knows where he is, and if he doesn't want to be found he won't be.'

Yet now, even he couldn't think of a better option, and he eventually had to concede that the sword was better off in the hands of the Weasley family than Snape. The Carrows, however, proved to be difficult adversaries. Despite their lack of intelligence, they seemed to have a sadism that was intuitive and precise, and much like Filch, they had an unwelcome habit of appearing at the most inconvenient moments. The D.A had fought back with remarkable spirit, unlike Ginny had seen since Umbridge had attempted to be Headmistress. They had struggled to get hold of joke products through the heightened security, but their creativity knew no bounds; Luna had impressed them all the most by luring a Blast-Ended Skrewt into Amycus Carrow's office, and it had taken several hours and many burns for the Carrows to get it out. Hagrid had oddly been deep in the Forest and unable to contact.

Food was left to rot in awkward and hidden places; Permanent Quills were used to draw rude pictures of the Carrows on the walls, tapestries and blackboards; a Bludger was unleashed in the first floor corridor, hurtling into every fragile object it could find; and one industrious second-year managed to smuggle a good proportion of Alecto Carrows iMoronic Muggles/i books out of her classroom, dumping them into the lake.

For Ginny, all of this was satisfying, but not enough. Though the small group tactic worked well for establishing a little chaos into daily Hogwarts life, they had made no progress in teaching each other new defensive spells because they quite simply couldn't gather for long enough. Snape had reinstated Umbridge's rule about unauthorized groups, and many students felt afraid to break curfew. Punishments had varied; for the most part they were as mundane as they had always been, but there was always a continued feeling that the Carrows were actively resisting doing worse, and they seemed to relish in threatening, yelling and generally terrifying students. On a handful of occasions, they seemed to lose control, throwing objects and striking short, swift blows to the most outspoken of students.

'Let's try and do it tonight,' said Ginny. 'We can use some other distraction. We could get Seamus to blow something up on the sixth floor.'

Neville gawped at her. 'You sure? I mean, nothing's gone right for us. We still haven't-'

She waved a hand. 'If we plan too much, we'll lose the element of surprise. When do you next see Seamus?'

'Er… Well next lesson I suppose.'

'Good. Talk to him then and see what he can do. I'll let Luna know in Potions this afternoon. Colin, you all right to switch to lookout?'

Colin nodded, though he looked resentful. Ginny felt a twinge of guilt. Without Quidditch, she'd had a distinct lack of release for her anger and frustration. Shouting at Ron's useless goalkeeping would have been perfect. Instead, she'd taken to snapping at her friends. She headed to Potions feeling thoroughly ashamed, and eager to confess her guilt to her best friend.

'You need to remember who you're really angry at,' Luna said as they chopped dried snargaluff pods.

'I know,' said Ginny, looking around the steamy dungeon. 'Everyone's in the same position, aren't they? All these people are worrying about friends and family too.'

'Their friends and family aren't in as much danger,' said Luna kindly. 'And they're not planning to become thieves.'

It was remarkably lucky that the dungeon was so noisy, because Luna made no effort to hide their plans. For some reason, Ginny couldn't help but smile. With all of Luna's fanciful stories, when she spoke about the realities of the situations they were in they always seemed a little further away.

'You're sure you're happy to, though?' Ginny asked. 'It doesn't really need three people if you don't want to.'

'Are you trying to get rid of me?' asked Luna, looking up at Ginny with wide eyes.

'No! Not at all! I just don't want you to get hurt.'

Luna smiled, and swept her snargaluff chippings into her cauldron. 'We should be the ones to do it. Us three. Like when we went to the Ministry, only without Harry, Ron, and Hermione.'

Luna was still just as eager when she snuck up to the Gryffindor common room with Ginny after dinner. With a bright smile at Neville, she linked arms with both of them and practically led the way, even remembering to jump the trick stair. Other members of the D.A were gathered by the fireplace, rehearsing alibis and helping Seamus load his bag with an odd powdery substance.

Ginny had not told everyone the purpose of the break in. Only Neville, Luna and Colin knew that she was planning to steal the sword, and only Neville and Luna knew that she was trying to get it to Harry. She had told the other students that she was simply planning to trash it and "maybe take a memento". Whether they believed her or not was irrelevant; they displayed a fierce loyalty and a great desire to see Dumbledore's murderer punished in any way possible.

'I wish we had Harry's cloak,' Ginny said to Neville as he anxiously untangled some Extendable Ears.

'Me too,' he said enviously. 'I always wanted to have a go with that. He's got it with him, I suppose?'

'I hope so,' said Ginny. 'He kept it on him constantly last year.'

'It's weird, isn't it?' said Neville quietly. 'I don't think I realized last year, but some people, like Harry, they could see all this coming. They were already preparing.'

Ginny wasn't sure why, but suddenly she felt awkward and embarrassed. 'I wasn't,' she admitted. 'I barely focused on my O. , let alone impending doom.'

He grinned. 'No, you had something else to focus on.'

She smacked him lightly. 'Time to go, I think. Luna?'

Colin and Seamus went ahead a few minutes before the rest of them, ready to get into position, leaving the entire common room silent with anticipation. Neville stared intently at his watch. They'd practiced the running times on several occasions, but not once had everything gone smoothly…

'Time,' he said gruffly, and led the three of them out of the portrait hole.

'Watch out,' warned the Fat Lady. 'You're breaking curfew already!'

The hurried down the corridors and staircases, using only a very dim light on Luna's wand to guide them. At every corner, they would stop and crouch low against the wall, Neville listening around the corner with an Extendable Ear. On the sixth floor, they encountered Seamus, lurking in the shadows by an ugly bust of an eccentric warlock.

'Three minutes,' whispered Neville as they passed, and in the darkness Ginny saw Seamus give a short nod.

They found Colin hidden in the shadows of an alcove around the corner from Snape's office. 'Any patrols?' asked Neville.

Colin shook his head. 'Nothing. All clear.'

They all squeezed into the alcove with him, Luna casting a disillusionment charm over them so they blended easily into the darkness. 'I hope Seamus gets the timing right,' she said quietly. 'This charm won't last long, I'm not very good at it, especially with all these Nargles floating about.'

They waited silently in the darkness for what couldn't have been more than a minute, though to Ginny it felt far longer. Above them, a muffled iboomI rumbled, and a sprinkling of dust rattled as it fell lightly from the ceiling. They held their breath. Ginny could hear the blood pounding in her ears.

The gargoyles leapt aside and Snape came rushing out of the office, his black robes billowing around him. As he passed them, Ginny could see the harshness of his face illuminated by his wand, and she felt a surge of satisfaction as she noticed how stressed and miserable he looked. They waited until they were sure he was out if ear shot, and hurried over to the entrance of the office.

'You're sure you know the password?' asked Neville.

'Of course,' said Ginny, remembering how Snape had dragged her here in the dead of night. 'iCokeworth/i.'

'I wonder what that means,' said Luna vaguely as they entered. 'Seems an odd password.'

'Yeah, well Dumbledore just named his after sweets, didn't he? Probably doesn't mean anythi- Oh.' Neville blinked rapidly as he looked around the bright office. 'It… It still looks like…'

'Yeah, he hasn't changed anything,' said Ginny bitterly. Somehow she felt it would have been better if Snape had marked his personality on the room, filling it with dusty jars and tattered books. The room was still so inexplicably and obviously Dumbledore's that Snape's intrusion felt heightened and more painful than normal. The portrait of Dumbledore himself was snoring loudly, his fluffy white beard thrown over one shoulder.

'Where is it?' asked Luna, running a finger delicately over an odd brass instrument. 'Or can we take anything we want?'

'No,' said Ginny firmly. 'It has to be the sword. It's over here.'

She led them to the display case, where the sword lay on deep purple velvet, its rubies glinting enticingly.

Neville jiggled the case. 'It's locked,' he said, though he didn't sound particularly surprised. 'Where d'you think he keeps the key? In his desk?'

Ginny stumbled over to the ornate desk, pulling open the heavy draws as quickly as she could. She was starting to panic; Snape could be back any moment. She searched desperately for any metallic object, pulling out wads of parchment and old quills, barely glancing at a photograph of a much younger, though still ugly, Snape sitting next to a laughing girl.

'There's nothing in here,' she growled, emptying the last drawer onto the floor. 'Why didn't I think of this? Of course he wasn't going to leave it unlocked, he-'

There was a high-pitched crash and Ginny jumped, spinning round to see Luna looking very satisfied and holding a heavy looking book. The display case was shattered, shards of broken glass scattered across the floor. 'I thought as you were making a mess, you wouldn't mind if I did the same,' Luna said.

'Brilliant, Luna!' yelped Neville, rushing forward. Luna looked very pleased.

Neville carefully picked up the sword, wrapping it in his cloak before handing it to Ginny. In her pocket, she felt her D.A coin glow with warmth. She swore.

'We need to leave, that's Colin's signal.'

'Should we try and clean up?'

'We need to leave NOW, Neville!'

She seized his arm and pulled him back to the door, Luna hot on their heels. She shoved the wrapped sword awkwardly under her own cloak as she rushed down the cold stone stairs, and perhaps that distraction was why she ran straight into Snape's chest.

She stumbled backwards, only stopped from falling over completely by Neville, and looked up in horror at Snape's furious face. He was practically shaking with rage, his hand gripping his wand so tightly she thought it might snap.

'Hand it over,' he said, his voice low and cold. 'Whatever you've stolen. Give it to me now.'

Her heart sinking, she dully handed the sword over. To be so close to success and then have it snatched away from them was crushing, and the memory of the Carrows torturing her was floating unpleasantly to the front of her mind.

'Get back in my office now,' he hissed.

They reluctantly turned and trooped back up to the office, where conveniently the portraits had no woken. Phineas Nigellus looked particularly smug, and so Ginny threw him an aggressive scowl. Dumbledore simply smiled at them curiously.

They stood in a sheepish line in the middle of the room as Snape swiftly went over to his desk and coldly surveyed the explosion of parchment and glass scattered across the floor.

'Which of you led this?' he asked quietly. None of them spoke. 'ANSWER ME!'

'I did,' said Neville loyally. He looked extremely pale, but stood straight and proud, fists clenched at his sides.

'Don't lie to me, Longbottom,' spat Snape, throwing the sword unceremoniously onto his desk. 'You don't have the competency.' He stared at Ginny, the same long, cold, sinister stare that she'd experienced when he'd questioned her. 'You wanted this sword,' he said quietly. 'Why?'

'I thought it would be a good trophy,' she replied.

'She was very insistent that they took the sword,' came a sly voice. The portrait of Phineas Nigellus was watching them with a mixture of distaste and excitement. 'It's what they broke in for.'

'Why did you want it?' he asked again, on the verge of shouting. 'Are you in contact with Potter?'

'No,' she said. Her hands were trembling.

He seemed to lose his temper, rushing over and grabbing her tightly by the arm, pulling her closely and looking into her eyes, wand raised. She yelped, and was vaguely aware of Neville and Luna shouting, but was suddenly assaulted by a plethora of memories flickering before her eyes.

 _She was six, and writing a letter to the famous Boy-Who-Lived, asking him what it was like to face You-Know-Who and whether he would like to come to tea, Dad promised he'd take it into work and find out where to send it to…_

 _She was ten, begging her brother to tell her more about Harry, asking him what she could talk to him about…_

 _She was eleven, writing out letters of thanks before scrunching them up and throwing them in the bin, wondering if he would ever be able to look at her as anything but a silly little girl…_

 _She was fourteen, and Madam Pince was chasing them out of the library, and she was running side by side with him, and he looked exhilarated at the prospect of contacting Sirius…_

 _She was fifteen, racing towards him in the crowded common room, and suddenly he had grabbed her and kissed her-_

 _They were by the lake and laughing so hard they couldn't breathe-_

 _They were in the common room, and she was trying to study but his hand was tracing across her lower back-_

 _He was walking away, through the rows of white chairs, and her heart was aching…_

 _They were laying the table and he said he was joking but she knew what he must do and she could taste fear in her mouth…_

 _Her father was ordering her not to contact them and she was furious…_

 _Grimmauld Place…_

Suddenly, she was back in the office again, panting and clammy, sure that she was going to throw up, feeling as though the room was gently rocking like the deck of a ship. Neville and Luna were either side of her, shouting, holding her steady, and Snape was turning away, looking frustrated and tired.

Her legs buckled underneath her, and Neville and Luna gently sat her on the floor. Snape now stood with his back to them, leaning on his desk with his head bowed in thought.

'Ginny,' Neville was whispering. 'Ginny what happened? What did he do? Are you all right?'

'Phineas,' said Snape, his voice ringing low and cold through the office. 'Are you still unable to see from your other portrait?'

'Hold on,' said Phineas. Ginny looked up at Luna, who looked uncharacteristically worried. Phineas returned within moments. 'Yes,' he drawled. 'Still the very dull contents of a bag.'

Snape turned again and paced a little, one hand rubbing across his mouth and jawline. 'Go to the kitchens and send up that house elf. The one that arrived last month.'

Phineas gave a short nod and sauntered out of his portrait. Ginny watched him walk through the different Headmasters until he reached the door, where he promptly vanished. She looked in desperation at the portrait of Dumbledore, who was watching the goings on with mild curiosity.

'Professor,' she cried, and both Dumbledore and Snape looked at her. 'Professor Dumbledore, I… Help us!' She knew even as she said it that it was useless. It was not the real Dumbledore. Dumbledore was dead. Gone. He was no longer here to protect them against Snape, and his portrait could say nothing useful in the presence of his killer.

Dumbledore gave a small, sad, smile and said simply, 'You're doing very well, Miss Weasley.'

Snape looked impatiently at the portrait, and then turned back to the students. 'Why were you trying to steal the sword? Were you trying to get it to Potter? Do you know where he is?'

'You just broke into my mind and saw Grimmauld Place,' retorted Ginny. 'Why don't you start there?'

He pointed his wand at her again, his face contorted with rage. 'You are not in the position to-'

There was a loud crack, and to her astonishment, Kreacher appeared before Snape, his great bat-like ears drooping low towards the ground as he stared at his own feet.

'Professor Snape called Kreacher,' he said sourly.

'Is your information still correct?' Snape asked abruptly. 'Has Potter left Grimmauld Place?'

'Master said he would be back, oh yes he did,' muttered Kreacher. 'Kreacher had dinner waiting for Master Harry but nasty Yaxley-'

'I know about that,' interrupted Snape. 'Could Potter have returned? Or will he return?'

'Kreacher doesn't know, and Kreacher wouldn't tell sneaky Snape if he did, nasty man, evil man, Master Harry was very concerned-'

Ginny was dumbfounded. What had happened to the disloyal and unpleasant Kreacher she had known? Was this a trick?

'Shut up,' hissed Snape. 'You will come to me if Potter summons you, if you discover his location. I need to know where he is.'

Kreacher looked up, his ancient face calculating. 'Kreacher will serve his master,' he said.

'You are employed by me,' reminded Snape loudly. 'You are employed by Hogwarts!'

Kreacher nodded. 'Kreacher will serve his master.'

'Go,' ordered Snape. 'Back to the kitchens.'

Kreacher gave a half-hearted bow and slunk out of the room, muttering darkly under his breath. As he passed Ginny, he gave her an odd, curious look out of the corner of his eye and said 'Weasley girl, Miss Ginevra' to himself.

Snape looked down at them for several moments. Ginny felt fragile and weak on the floor, but when she tried to stand up, Luna firmly pushed her back down.

'I will give you one more chance,' he said coldly. 'To tell me why you wanted this sword, and what you were planning to do with it.'

'We told you,' said Neville. 'We thought it would make a good trophy.'

'Very well,' said Snape, his voice dangerously quiet. 'If that is what you insist… I shouldn't need to remind you that breaking into my office and stealing my personal possessions is absolutely unacceptable. The three of you will receive detention and if I catch any of you stepping out of line again you will be facing expulsion. I advise against attempting this stunt again; clearly the sword is not safe here where thieving children live, and it will be sent to a different location. Now get up.'

They rose, Ginny still feeling quite unwell but determined not to stumble. A deep unhappiness was taking hold of her, and she couldn't stop thinking of Harry, and where he could be now that he had fled Grimmauld Place.

'Your detention will be this weekend with Hagrid,' said Snape coldly. 'I will send you more details tomorrow. Leave now. Do not take any detours on your return to your dormitories. If you are found breaking curfew, I will not allow this to be an excuse, you will be punished for that as well. Get out.'

They returned in silence, only speaking to murmur a soft goodbye to Luna as they passed the way to the Ravenclaw tower. When they reached the common room, a large crowd was waiting anxiously for them. Colin leapt up. 'I'm sorry!' he cried. 'The coin slipped out of my hands and when I found it again there was no time left, I'm sorry!'

'What happened?' asked Lavender. Her face was tear stained. 'You've been gone for hours.'

'Got caught,' said Neville briskly. 'Never mind though. We'll think of other ways to get back at him.'

But Ginny couldn't find it in her to shake off the disappointment and shame, and suddenly she realized that she was crying, and Pavarti and Demelza were guiding her over to a warm seat by the fire, and she sobbed as images of Harry holding the sword of Gryffindor ran through her mind.


	14. Chapter 14

Ginny, Neville and Luna were not permitted to attend the Halloween feast. As the other students gleefully rushed to the Great Hall, which Flitwick had put extraordinary effort into decorating, they glumly trudged into the cold night air, their feet squelching into the rain-sodden lawn.

'It'll be fine,' said Neville brightly, leading the girls towards the forest. 'Hagrid's all right. It could have been a lot worse, couldn't it?'

'Yes,' agreed Luna. 'Did you hear what happened to Hannah Abbott?'

'What?' asked Neville quickly, turning around and walking backwards so he could see Luna's face. 'What happened?'

'Oh, no, Luna, I don't want to hear it,' moaned Ginny. 'Don't tell me.'

'She's all right,' Luna said reassuringly to them. 'Nothing lasting.'

'I still don't want to hear about it,' said Ginny. 'I'm sick of hearing depressing things.'

She could hear Neville and Luna whispering about Hannah for the rest of the walk, but focused firmly on the warm yellow lights of Hagrid's hut, determined to keep a sense of normality. Tonight's detention was, they agreed, a lucky escape from what they could have faced under the Carrows. Though they seemed to attempt to act like normal teachers, their odd fits of rage would occasionally reveal a cruel and sadistic nature, as unpredictable and changing as the weather. A student could go to detention with them and return having only written lines, or they could come back with dark bruises, cut lips and bloody noses. At least with Hagrid they only had to worry about what was in the forest, and was like a normal, though admittedly harsh, detention.

Fang's low barks announced their arrival, and Hagrid welcomed her with a rib crushing hug. 'How are yeh, Ginny?' he asked. 'Them bloody fools up at the castle leavin' yeh alone?'

'Just about,' she smiled up at him. 'I can't believe we got detention with you.'

'I know,' said Hagrid, closing the door of his hut. 'I was a bit surprised meself, what with Snape knowing that we're friendly and all tha', but I s'pose he thinks the forest is scary enough to make up fer it.'

'What are we doing in there?' asked Neville.

'Lookin' fer blood-suckin' bugbears, they should be more active at night. Don' worry, they're not as bad as everyone says.'

'Easy for you to say,' muttered Neville quietly, and Ginny threw him a wicked grin.

'What do we do when we find them?' asked Luna dreamily. 'I don't want to hurt them.'

Hagrid looked a little surprised, but pleased. Ginny was not sure that Luna and Hagrid had ever had anything more but polite conversation in Care of Magical Creatures classes, and suddenly had the very strong desire to see them become the best of friends.

'Oh, er, well we jus' need to banish them further back, see,' said Hagrid happily. 'They've been getting a bit close to the castle, I spotted one in the pumpkin patch, cheeky beggar, an'-' He stopped suddenly. Fang was sitting at the edge of the forest whining.

'What is it?' asked Neville, staring into the darkness. 'Is something the matter?'

'Nah,' said Hagrid. 'He's just a big coward. Dark night though, not much moonligh', best we all stick together.'

They huddled behind Hagrid's huge form as they entered the forest. The night was so dark that Ginny could only just make out the shadowed outlines of gnarled and ancient trees; she found herself holding her arms outstretched to balance. Behind her, Neville stumbled over a tree root.

'Yeh can light yer wands up,' Hagrid called over his shoulder. 'No need to worry.'

' _Lumos_ ,' whispered Ginny, holding her wand up. Feeling a little more confident with light, she walked alongside Hagrid, Fang trotting ahead of them. In the ghostly blue light of her wand, the branches of the trees were illuminated in the darkness, meeting across the top of their path like a cathedral knave. She felt an odd weight on her heart, and as she walked, she though inexplicably of tattered veils and faded photographs.

There was a sudden rustling and thumping patter, and they turned their wands in time to see the stubby tail of a bugbear running into the thicket.

'I saw one!' shouted Luna joyfully. 'He went that way!'

'Nice spot,' said Neville eagerly, beginning to follow the trail the bugbear left.

'Er, don' worry, Neville,' said Hagrid distractedly. 'Let's keep moving, I'm sure we'll come across more.' He ambled off further along the path.

Ginny, Luna and Neville stared at each other for a moment, and then followed in bewilderment. In the distance, Ginny could hear the odd, strangled cry of some sort of creature. The air was thick and musty; unusually warm for mid-autumn.

'This is the weirdest detention I've ever had,' said Neville quietly. 'Where are we going?'

'Yes,' said Luna sadly. 'I was quite looking forward to finding some blood-sucking bugbears. I know they're vicious, and they can spray you with that horrible smell, but it would have been tremendous fun.'

It didn't sound like much fun to Ginny, but she was feeling increasingly unsettled as they walked further and further into the forest, and Fang was now skulking nervously at Hagrid's heel.

'Hagrid?' she called, hurrying to keep up with his huge strides, 'what's going on? Where are we going?'

'We're being watched,' he said shortly. 'Keep walking.'

Suddenly the unsettled feeling made sense, and she too was aware of multiple presences surrounding them. They kept walking and soon she heard the gentle thudding of hooves.

'Centaurs,' she whispered to Neville and Luna. To her right, she saw a large, muscular figure pass behind a tree, almost silently.

They soon came to a clearing, where the water logged soil squelched underfoot and through the bare branches stars scattered across the sky. The centaurs stepped forward into their wandlight now, stern and proud looking, surrounding them suspiciously.

'Evening, Magorian,' said Hagrid loudly.

'You have been warned, Hagrid,' said a large, chestnut coloured centaur. 'We told you that you were no longer welcome in our forest.'

'We warned you before you even entered,' another said, and many stamped their hooves angrily.

'I can' help it if I've work to do,' said Hagrid stubbornly. He drew himself up unnecessarily, standing even taller. 'Been ordered to take this lot in here fer detention, and I'm not going to ruddy well say no to Snape, even fer you lot.'

'Leave,' ordered Magorian.

'Happily,' said Hagrid scowling. 'You'll come an' explain it to the Death Eaters in charge fer me, will yeh?'

'Impudence!' snarled one, starting forward and pounding the ground furiously.

'I'm telling it like it is, Bane,' said Hagrid. 'This won't be yeh forest if the Death Eaters have their way. But you could-'

'We ought to slay you all,' said Magorian, staring with intense dislike at Neville. 'You bring an adult humans into our home, Hagrid.'

'Blame Snape!' growled Hagrid.

'Snape is the one who sent us here,' said Luna, her voice unusually commanding. 'We didn't want to intrude. He sent us here as punishment.'

'Yeah,' said Neville. 'He probably wanted you to kill us.'

A swift as a flash of lightening, Bane drew his bow and aimed an arrow at Neville's face. 'You think us vicious? Bloodthirsty?'

Neville stumbled back a little, but kept eye contact. 'Well, you are pointing a-' Ginny stepped hard on his foot '-I mean, no, not at all. That's just Snape.'

'Yeh could help us,' said Hagrid pleadingly. 'Yeh could protect yeh home by helping us.'

'We do not meddle in petty human affairs,' said Bane.

'It's not petty!' said Ginny hotly. Now the arrow was aimed at her. 'People are dying!'

'Irrelevant,' said Magorian. 'Individual lives rarely matter in the eons of eternity. History will be made in this forest. But not by you, and not with our help.'

'At least let us get on with our work,' said Hagrid. 'I'm meant to be givin' a detention.'

Fury erupted again, the centaurs were dancing with rage, creating a noise like a dozen war drums. 'You treat our home as a punishment,' spat Magorian. 'Like some distressing but inconsequential thing to be used when convenient. Get out now.'

They didn't need to be told again. Hagrid gave a sharp whistle to Fang and turned, marching so angrily that Ginny, Neville and Luna had to run to keep up.

'Ruddy centaurs,' he growled. Ginny was sure they were still being watched, but thought that even centaurs would have to be foolishly brave to attack Hagrid as he stormed through bracken. 'Don' care about no one but themselves and their ruddy forest. Spend far too much time inhaling plant fumes if you ask me.'

'What are we going to do about the detention?' panted Neville. 'We've only been here half an hour, Snape will be furious.'

'Ah, don' worry about that slimy bloke,' said Hagrid. 'I'll tell 'im yeh did the full four hours. Yeh lot sneak into bed while the feast is still going. Yeh'll be up bright an' early for yeh Hogsmeade trip tomorrow.'

He was still angry when he bade them goodnight at his hut, and as they walked away they could hear the clanking of bottles and angry curse words through the window.

'Blimey,' said Neville. 'They're not all like Firenze, are they?'

'Snape must have known,' said Luna crossly. 'He must know that the centaurs don't want us there. It was very rude of him.'

'That was probably the intention,' said Ginny. 'He was probably hoping we'd get beaten up like Umbridge did. And then he probably would have pinned it on Hagrid,' she added venomously.

'Well, hopefully he won't notice us sneaking back,' said Neville heavily. They could still hear the warm buzz of the feast as they passed the Great Hall. Ginny's stomach rumbled as she glanced at the door enviously, wondering if Demelza and Colin were having fun.

'Luna,' she said spontaneously. 'As we're sneaking around anyway, come have a sleepover in Gryffindor. I'll lend you pyjamas.'

Luna beamed at her. 'That would be really fun! We should get some snacks from the kitchens, come on!' She seized Ginny's hand, and pulled her down the corridor leading to the kitchens.

'See you later Neville!' laughed Ginny. 'We'll grab you some food!'

The house-elves were incredibly accommodating. Ginny had worried that they were being a little cheeky — the poor creatures had just cooked an entire feast, after all, but they barely had to ask before Cornish pasties, chicken drumsticks, chocolate cake and several bottles of butterbeer were pressed into their hands.

'While we're here,' said Ginny, after thanking them, 'I was hoping we could talk to Kreacher?'

The ancient old house elf shuffled through the crowd, scowling and looking up at Luna with mistrust.

'Hello, Kreacher,' said Ginny, feeling oddly nervous. Last time she had spoken to him, he had called her a filthy blood traitor and left her drying laundry in a crumpled heap under her bed.

He looked up at her, and mumbled something to himself. A house elf next to him gave him a sharp pinch.

'Kreacher should not speak ill of students!' squeaked the house elf. 'Kreacher is a Hogwarts house elf now!'

'I wanted to know why you aren't working for Harry anymore,' said Ginny.

Kreacher's face twisted into an even more unpleasant expression and he looked at his feet. 'Kreacher still works for Master Harry,' he said. 'Kreacher is working for Hogwarts until Master Harry calls him.'

Ginny knelt down so she was at eye level with him, Luna looking on curiously. 'Did Harry tell you to come here?'

'Kreacher can't talk about Master Harry's plans and thoughts,' snapped Kreacher. 'But Kreacher came here on his own thoughts.'

'How is Harry?' asked Ginny. The words almost hurt as she asked them. She was missing him so much it was like an open wound, and finally she was talking to someone that had seen him, recently, and it felt like she was contacting him.

'Kreacher can't talk about Master Harry,' Kreacher said stubbornly.

Her shoulder sank. 'Please, Kreacher? You don't need to tell me what he's up to, just how he is, whether he's all right-'

'Kreacher has been here a month,' he said. 'Master Harry has not summoned him.'

'Well you've clearly made friends with him,' snapped Ginny, losing patience. 'So you obviously have spoken to him a bit, even if it's not been-'

'That's not the way to do it, Ginny,' said Luna gently. Kreacher's face had now contorted into such a grotesque expression that he looked quite unrecognizable from the gargoyles which lined the castle barbican.

'Er, sorry, Kreacher. I'm just very worried about him. I'm sure, er… I'm sure you can understand.'

He blinked at her, wringing his gnarled, spotted little hands. 'You are Miss Weasley,' he said.

'Um… Yes.'

'Miss Ginevra.'

'That's right.'

'Kreacher hears of you. From Master Harry and the… the…' Kreacher pursed his lips, clearly struggling to find the right words. '…Miss Hermione.'

'Harry and Hermione? They spoke about me?' She gave a quick glance back at Luna, who was smiling encouragingly. It seemed ridiculous, but it was nice to know that she hadn't been forgotten. 'What did they say?'

Kreacher paused for a long time, dancing from one foot to the other. Ginny wondered if he was conflicted with his loyalty to Harry and his duty to the students, or whether his dislike of Muggleborns was strong enough to betray Hermione's confidence.

'Master Harry had concerns,' he said finally. 'Miss Hermione was reassuring.'

'What were his concerns?'

'Kreacher cannot talk about Master Harry,' he said again, clearly very uncomfortable.

She sighed, finally giving up. 'Well, thank you anyway, Kreacher. If he does summon you, give him my love, won't you? My brother and Hermione too.'

They left the kitchen shortly after, waving goodbye to the other, much happier, elves.

'We should probably hurry,' said Luna airily, examining her watch that didn't seem to have hands. 'The feast will be over very soon.'

It was not hard to smuggle Luna into the Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady barely paid attention to them, giggling over a glass of mead with her friend violet, and the only person there was Neville, who was lounging sleepily on the sofa.

'Pasty?' said Ginny, chucking one at him.

He caught it clumsily, yawning as he did. 'Ta. I'm glad you're back, I was getting worried. I was thinking, want to check out the Room of Requirement tomorrow? See if it's safe enough.'

'I said I'd meet my brothers in Hogsmeade,' she replied, settling down by the fire. Luna lifted up Neville's legs and sat underneath them, placing them back across her lap once she had made herself comfortable. Ginny gave a wicked grin to Neville, but he did not seem remotely concerned or uncomfortable, something she found a little disappointing.

'Well, I'll check it out and update you when you get back. I'm sure it's about working _with_ the room…' He tapped his wand on the top of his butterbeer, and the bottle cap bounced high into the air, where it was nimbly caught by Luna.

For the first time that term, Ginny found herself having fun. It seemed strange that she had been expecting a terrible evening of detention, and had instead ended up giggling by the fireside with her friends, eating with glorious inelegance and scratching a mewing Crookshanks behind the ears. It was as though there was no war at all, and as students began to return to the feast she showed Luna her dorm, where they slept top to tail and whispered through the night.

***

Hogsmeade was particularly blustery the next day. Twirling fountains of fallen leaves were picked up by the air, and Ginny struggled to control her hair as it whipped around her face.

Bill, Fred and George were waiting for her in the Three Broomsticks; she could see them laughing at her through the window. Fred gave a stupid little wave, and she made a rude hand gesture in return.

'Miss Weasley!' came an admonishing voice. She turned to see Slughorn, hands on his gigantic waist, looking at her with shock. 'I never imagined you to be the sort.'

'Oh, er, sorry, Professor. I just… Lost my temper with someone. Won't happen again.'

He shook his head disapprovingly, but apparently decided to let her off, and passed her to enter the pub. She could now see her brothers roaring with laughter.

'Shut up,' she said to them when she had made her way to their table.

'That's not a nice greeting to your favourite brothers,' said George.

'Nice hair,' said Fred. 'I've always thought you should go for the scarecrow look.'

'How are you, Ginny?' asked Bill. 'I hope you didn't get into trouble there?'

She sat down, huffily unwrapping her scarf from her neck and throwing a dirty look at Fred, who was still sniggering.  
'No, Slughorn's all right. It's the Carrows and Snape I have to look out for.'

'How have they been?' asked George. 'Mum's been worried sick.'

'They're awful,' said Ginny. 'I mean, don't tell her that, obviously, but they're complete psychopaths. Every now and then they lose their temper and end up physically hurting someone, or throwing something at you, or coming up with bizarre and cruel punishments-'

'Like what?' asked Bill sharply.

'Like sending me, Neville and Luna out to the Forbidden Forest at night!' she said. Madam Rosmerta placed a flagon of butterbeer in front of her, and she smiled up gratefully before continuing. 'He wanted us to sort out a bugbear problem-'

'You're joking?' said Fred. 'They're nasty little things, horrible bites and they bloody stink.'

'Well, we didn't actually complete the detention because the centaurs kicked us out. I'm sure he knew that they don't want anyone in there anymore, even Hagrid, and was just hoping they'd beat us up. He can't even do his own dirty work, the coward,' she muttered, taking a deep gulp of butterbeer.

Bill sighed heavily. 'Please stay out of trouble, Ginny-'

Fred leaned dramatically over the table and placed a hand over Billy's mouth. 'Ignore him, he's boring. Get into lots of trouble.'

'But stop getting caught,' said George. 'Have we taught you nothing?'

'Yeah,' said Billy, throwing Fred's hand off his face with an irritated look. 'What did you get caught for anyway?'

'Trying to steal the sword of Gryffindor,' said Ginny. She was not concerned with being overheard. After all, she hadn't been successful, so it was hardly useful information.

Her brothers stared at her. 'Why?' asked George slowly.

'I wanted to get it to Harry,' she replied impatiently.

'How on earth were you going to do that?' asked Fred, amused.

'Well, the plan was to get it to you guys, and then… then…' They suddenly looked very uncomfortable. 'What?' she asked.

'Ginny,' said Billy gently, his voice low. 'No one's heard from him…'

'I know! He's keeping a low profile. But I thought you guys-'

'No, Ginny,' said Fred. 'Listen. Literally no one has heard from him. From any of them.'

His words hung in the air like a death sentence. 'That doesn't mean anything,' she said. 'They're good at hiding, that's all.'

'Yeah, well, maybe we shouldn't talk about it in public,' said George, throwing an uneasy glance at the bar. The room was packed with students, and very noisy, so she doubted they would be overheard.

'Oh, please,' she said. 'What's got into you lot? All doom and gloom. Have you given up?'

'No!' said Fred, who sounded genuinely offended. 'As a matter of fact, I'm glad you wrote and told us to come here. We wanted to tell you about our secret project.'

'What happened to the secret part?' asked Bill, rolling his eyes. 'Keep your voice down.'

'Right, right,' said Fred. 'Anyway, we've taken some inspiration from the Quibbler, and joined forces with Lee.'

'Lee?' said Ginny, dumbfounded. 'Lee Jordon?'

'Mmhmm,' said George, sipping his dirigible plum cider. 'The one and only.'

'We're launching a secret radio programme. For everyone interested in the fight against You-Know-Who. And if we hear anything about Harry and the others we'll announce it to keep everyone's spirits up,' said Fred. 'We're sick of hearing rumours that he's dead.'

'You lot just tried to imply that he's dead!' she said, outraged.

'Right, but we don't believe it, just don't want you getting your hopes up too much,' said George.

'You lot make no sense. What's this radio programme going to be called, anyway? When's it going to be on?'

'First show is this Monday,' said Bill. 'But we do need a name, or a catchy slogan, or a gimmick or something…'

There was a brief silence as Ginny considered, the humming of the busy pub acting like a white noise. 'You should make it more about Harry,' she said.

Fred let out a dramatic groan and lay his head on the table. 'I'm surrounded by lovesick fools, give it a rest…'

'I'm serious!' she said. 'You said it yourself, you want to keep people's spirits up by reminding them that he's out there fighting.'

Bill rubbed his jaw. 'It's worth considering, I suppose… We'll have to talk to the others.'

'Who else is involved?'

'Pretty much what's left of the order. Us, Dad, Kingsley, Lupin…'

'Has he come to his senses yet?' she demanded.

Bill laughed. 'Yes, finally. Still a nervous wreck, but there. He's one of the most enthusiastic actually.'

'Him, Tonks and Tonks' mum are staying for Christmas,' added Fred. 'Ted Tonks has gone on the run and you know what Mum's like, doesn't want any of them to be lonely.'

'Oh,' said Ginny. She was suddenly feeling quite sad. 'Sounds like a lot's been going on.'

'I'm sure you've been busy too,' said Bill. 'Tell us more about the Carrows. Don't hold back, we're smart enough to edit for Mum.'

They chatted for at least two hours, ordering bar snacks to keep them going, before the time came for Ginny to head back and they left the warmth of the pub to stand on the chilly street outside. She embraced them one by one, wishing that she could Apparate home with them.

'Don't forget to listen to the wireless on Monday night,' said Fred. 'Seven O'clock. The password will be 'Sirius', Remus picked it.'

'I will,' she said. 'Make sure you remember to write.'

He winked, and they walked away, turned on the spot and vanished. The wind stung against her face. She bit her lip and wrapped her scarf a little tighter around her face, before beginning the slow march back up to the castle.  
When she arrived at the gates, however, Amycus Carrow was waiting for her.

'No more Hogsmeade trips for you, girly,' he wheezed, grinning.

'What? Why?' She couldn't think what she had possibly done wrong.

'You've been banned, that's what,' he said. 'Order of Professor Snape. You're to go up to his office at once.'


	15. Chapter 15

Snape was not, as Ginny had been expecting, alone in his office, but glaring across his desk at Luna. Alecto Carrow was standing smugly behind him, twirling her wand like a baton between her grubby fingers.

'Here she is,' said Amycus slimily, tugging Ginny by the elbow into the room. Snape's dark eyes flicked over to her, but he remained as still as a statue.

'What's going on?' asked Ginny as she was forced into a chair next to Luna.

'Hello,' said Luna cheerfully. She had taken some knitting out, ignoring Snape's irritated stare as the needles clacked.

'I have been informed-'

'I was the one what was informed!' interrupted Alecto.

Snape breathed sharply out of his nose. 'Apologies,' he said briskly, still staring at Ginny and Luna. 'Professor Carrow was informed that you invited Miss Lovegood into your dormitory last night.'

'By who?' asked Ginny.

'That is not your concern,' replied Snape delicately. Amycus was sniggering behind her, and he went to join his sister. The Death Eaters looked down at them with greedy smiles, heads tilted like excited dogs.

'I wasn't aware that it was against the rules, Professor,' said Luna, still nimbly moving her knitting needles.

'Put that down,' snarled Snape. She looked up at him with her great owl-like eyes. 'Now,' he warned.

'All right,' she said, placing the needles across her ball of wool. 'But I don't think Ginny or I have done anything wrong.'

He surveyed her coldly. 'Professor Carrow suggests otherwise.'

'Yeh not a Gryffindor,' cackled Alecto. 'Yeh shouldn't have been in there at all.'

'We want to know what yeh were up to,' added her brother with an oddly sordid smile. 'Both of yeh.'

'We're just friends, we weren't trying to be disruptive or break rules,' said Ginny. 'After the detention, Luna was too tired to go to the Ravenclaw tower so she came with me to Gryffindor.'

'There is a password for a reason,' drawled Snape. 'You are supposed to stay within your own houses. Miss Lovegood should have continued on to the Ravenclaw tower, despite her exhaustion.'

'Perhaps we were worried she would be caught breaking curfew,' muttered Ginny.

'Insolent brat!' growled Amycus. 'Did yeh hear that, Snape? What a bloody cheek on her…'

'I knew yeh should have let us do that detention,' said Alecto, her mouth twisted in disgust. 'That trip in the forest clearly taught them nothing. Give me half an hour with 'em and they won't be sneaking round in places they shouldn't no more…'

'And I told _you_ ,' said Snape through gritted teeth, 'that sort of punishment only spurs Gryffindors on. They're a house of complete fools that relish in matrydom and noble sacrifice. They respond far better to the removal of privileges. Which is why Miss Weasley is banned from Hogsmeade.'

'For what?' demanded Ginny. 'I'm still not aware that I've broken an explicit school rule.'

Amycus Carrow darted round the desk and gave her a sharp slap across the face. 'You watch yeh mouth yeh little blood traitor bitch,' he snarled. Ginny flinched; his breath was rotten. 'Yeh treading on thin ice as it is.'

'As you can see from Miss Weasley's distress,' said Snape loudly. 'The punishment is suitable. As for Miss Lovegood, I will take responsibility for her detention.'

'Oh,' said Luna, her shoulders sinking with disappointment. 'Can't I be banned from Hogsmeade too?'

Snape raised an eyebrow. 'Do you really believe that you are in a position to pick and choose your punishments, Miss Lovegood?'

'No, I don't suppose so.'

'No. I shall see you this Monday after dinner, and each evening thereafter until I am satisfied you will not trespass in the castle again.'

'It's not your castle,' spat Ginny fiercely. 'We all live here. We can go where we want just as much as you.'

'It has never been that way, Miss Weasley,' said Snape, sounding amused. He held up a hand to stop Amycus, who had raised his fist and was snorting like an angry bull. 'You have never been free to come and go as you please and there have always been places out of bounds to you. This golden age you yearn for has never existed, even under your beloved Dumbledore. Incidentally, from this Monday onwards there will be a crackdown on student groups and societies. They must all be authorized.'

Ginny was wise enough not to respond, but the threat was clear; he was aware of the D.A.

'Let me 'ave her, Severus,' said Amycus, shaking with rage. 'The gobby little shite, I'll teach her some manners.'

'I'd really rather you didn't,' drawled Snape. 'You tend to make quite a mess and I'm rather fond of this office. If you would please remain behind so we can further discuss disciplinary strategies. You two may both leave.' He waved a hand carelessly towards Ginny and Luna, then turned in his chair towards Alecto, gesturing her closer to look at a roll of parchment on his desk.

Ginny seized Luna and pulled her out of the office as quickly as she could. 'Come on,' she urged impatiently as Luna treaded carefully on the stone stairs. 'Before Carrow gets his way and comes after us.'

'Who do you think told them?' Luna asked.

The realization hit Ginny like a punch in the stomach. She'd realized in the office, of course, that somebody had ratted on them, but it suddenly struck her that it had to have been a Gryffindor, maybe even one of her dorm mates, and she had been stupidly trusting of all of them. Hadn't she foolishly held D.A meetings in full view of the entire house? Hadn't she openly commanded them to keep spreading her false story about Harry? She had even loudly mentioned in the Common Room this morning that she was off to see her brothers?

'We can't trust anyone anymore,' she said to Luna quietly.

Luna's face fell, and she grasped Ginny's hand. 'Of course we can,' she said. 'They might not have meant it, whoever it was. We have to keep the D.A going.'

'I'll need to talk to Neville,' Ginny replied heavily. 'I suppose we'll have to use the Room of Requirement again, and just keep it even more secret…'

'But we need to keep recruiting,' Luna insisted. 'We can't let paranoia get to us, our numbers will dwindle and then we won't be able to do anything. Betrayal is just a risk we'll have to take.'

They spoke to Neville at dinner, awkwardly trying to shield Luna from the view of the high table. He listened to them with great concern, leaving his spaghetti to go cold as Ginny explained what had happened in the office in a low voice.

'You're really lucky by the sounds of it,' he said slowly. 'I mean, a Hogsmeade ban is quite mild…'

'No it's not,' said Ginny furiously, stabbing a fork at her food. 'Not for me. He knows that. He probably knew somehow that I was meeting my brothers. He's trying to cut us off from the rest of the world, he _knows_ not knowing anything is eating me up inside, the sadistic, cruel, cowardly old…'

'We also need to find out who grassed you up,' interrupted Neville.

'Yes, well, it could be anyone, couldn't it? Did you try out the Room of Requirement today?'

He nodded, and finally helped himself to a generous mouthful of spaghetti. The girls waited relatively patiently, though Ginny was drumming her fingers anxiously on the table. 'Yeah, I reckon it'll be all right, you know. I took Colin, Seamus and Lavender with me, and as long as you close the loopholes they can't get in. You just have to be careful about how you phrase everything.'

'You're sure?' asked Luna.

'Yeah, pretty sure. I mean, we were there for about three hours saying all sorts of stuff, I think we covered almost every conceivable scenario.'

'Let's meet there tomorrow, then,' said Ginny. 'We can ask people directly if they said anything.'

'Is that wise?' asked Luna.

'We'll be able to tell by their reaction,' said Ginny venomously.

'And then what?' asked Neville, exchanging a glance with Luna.

'Then… Then we'll know who it was,' she said lamely. There was a long pause.

'Perhaps we should just practice the Patronus charm tomorrow night,' said Neville lightly. 'But we'll keep an eye out in case anyone looks guilty.'

But nobody did look guilty that night. The Room of Requirement accommodated them in a vast circular hall, supplied with cushions and dueling books just as it had two years previously, and small groups of students began filtering through the door, eager to learn and chatting happily. They divided naturally into pairs and began practicing, though in the comfort of the room and surrounded by friends the spell was rather easier than it should have been.

Ginny's Patronus horse cantered around the room, fuelled by the memory of post-Quidditch celebrations and chased by Luna's hare.

'They're nice, aren't they?' said Luna happily. 'Sometimes at home I cast one just to keep me company, when the wireless is broken, you know.'

'The wireless? Shit, what time is it?'

'Nearly seven-'

Ginny seized a whistle and blew into it a little too hard, it's piercing sound echoing off the wall. The students stopped and winced, turning to look at her with irritated glares. She had somehow never quite managed to gain their admiration like Harry had.

'Sorry everyone, but I think we should all gather round…' She spun around on the spot, looking a little frantically.

Thankfully, the room provided, and a shabby yet sturdy looking wireless had appeared in a shadowy corner. 'Gather round the wireless,' she said confidently, trying to make it look like she'd planned this departure from the norm. 'There's a programme we should all be listening to.'

'The wireless?' scoffed Zacharias. 'We can listen to that any time. We're trying to learn important stuff here.'

'Shut up,' she said vaguely, crouching down to tune it. 'Sirius…' she muttered. 'Sirius… Well everyone sit down! Sirius…'

She could remember him, that laughing, troubled man, marching through the corridors in a Christmas hat singing at the top of his voice…

A crackling, distant voice became distinguishable from the static hum, and she hurriedly hushed everyone as she turned up the volume. Lee's smooth, confident voice sounded through the room, jolting familiar memories of Quidditch.

'…And welcome to Potterwatch, the show where we will be updating you on the famous Boy-Who-Lived and the fight against You-Know-Who…'

The room gasped and Ginny turned to see people's faces light up in delight, many students shuffling forwards on their bums to get closer.

'My name is River, and I am joined by Romulus, Royal and Rascal. We are all active in the underground movement to fight against the dark forces that are corrupting our society, and urge you to do the same. We will start with a brief summary of the latest news that you may not have seen reported. It is with great sadness that we report the murders of the Gardener family; Roger, Emily, and their eleven-year-old son Samuel. In addition, the reported disappearance of Gareth Monroe, a senior Healer at St Mungos, is extremely troubling to his family. Gareth, if you are out there, please get in contact. And now, a minutes silence for those who have perished.'

They sat quietly, listening to the faint crackle of the wireless. Ginny thought of that small boy, pulled off the train by his terrified mother, and felt as though she could throw up.

'Thank you. Now, onto our features and in-depth analysis. Royal, why don't you start us of? I believe you have information about the recent Ministry changes.'

'I do, River,' came a deep voice. Ginny's heart soared; she could imagine Kingsley's easy smile as he spoke. 'I am sure it comes to no shock to our listeners that the Ministry has been infiltrated by Death Eaters and You-Know-Who himself, and since July it has been under their control. I urge our listeners to recognize propaganda when they see it.'  
'It's the propaganda you've become increasingly concerned with?'

'It is. I am distressed that the political discourse churned out by the new government is being swallowed by ordinary witches and wizards, who may not fully comprehend the full extent of the systematic oppressions they are endorsing.'

'What's oppressions?' whispered a first year, but Neville shushed him, as Lee's voice continued.

'Much of this propaganda relates to Muggleborns, of course, the horrors that they are facing we will come on to shortly, but there is also a lot concerning Harry Potter.'

'Yes, that's right, though I will hand over to Romulus for this one, as he knows Harry well…'

'Hi River,' came Lupin's voice, and Ginny could help but shout in delight. Many of the older students did the same, instantly recognizing the hoarse but kind voice of their old and favourite Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

'Romulus, how accurate is the propaganda about the Chosen One?'

Lupin chuckled. 'Completely inaccurate. Accusations of murder, suggestions of cowardice, even claims of sordid affairs… Sounds just a tad desperate to me.'

'Certainly not the Harry you know.'

'Certainly not. The fact that such a high price has been placed on his head should make it clear to the public how desperate the Death Eaters and Ministry-'

'Which are one and the same now,' interjected Kingsley.

'Yes, quite, but it just shows how desperate they are to find them. I'm aware there are rumours flying all over the place that he's been found, but as we can see the Ministry is so keen to demonise him that we can be sure that if he was found, we would all know very quickly.'

'They'd parade him around, is that what you're saying?'

'Yes. This government has made it clear, I'm sure Royal will back me up on this, that they are fuelling their regime with vivid and striking propaganda, reinforcing fears and prejudices through what is essentially clever marketing. Portraying Harry as a public enemy succeeds in both lowering morale and forcing him into hiding. Our duty in fighting against this regime is to ensure that Harry is supported as he fights against You-Know-Who, by protecting him against the ridiculous slander thrown at him by the Ministry and major newspapers.'

Ginny looked around the room. All the students were listening very carefully, their expressions serious. Neville was nodding grimly, his brow furrowed in determination.

'So what is he like? Beyond the fame.' Lee asked. Ginny couldn't help but smirk. Lee knew him; it seemed a little silly to go through this pantomime when they had so obviously rehearsed the show. But, it seemed to be working as the students looked enthralled.

'Modest, inherently good with a natural inclination to help people, a dry, sarcastic sense of humour… Generally an ordinary, charming young man who's been through an awful lot and has been thrown into the middle of a chaotic war through no fault of his own.'

'Not to mention fantastic on the Quidditch field, I've heard…' Ginny couldn't help but snort with laughter. Poor Lee, he couldn't resist.

Lupin laughed too. 'Definitely. A very good Seeker.'

'And now,' Lee continued with a flourish. 'Our final feature with special guest Rascal! Rascal, you're going to be giving us protection tips.'

'That's right, wotcher River,' said Tonks's voice brightly. 'I have a wealth of experience in defensive magic and I'm keen to impart my worldly wisdom to our listeners.'

Ginny grinned at Neville; this was perfect. Even Zacharias looked pleased.

'So, Rascal; given recent rumours of Inferi sightings in the Norfolk broads, what should our listeners do if faced with the grisly creatures?'

'Well, ideally get away as fast as possible. But, if a swift escape is not possible, it's important to remember that these dark creatures like cold, wet, dark places. The exact opposite? Fire! Light those nasty bastards on fire. Light 'em up. Boom! They can make quite a satisfying whoosh noise.'

Students were giggling. Hannah Abbot was laughing in a shocked sort of way up at Neville, Seamus was rubbing his hands gleefully for Lavender's amusement, and the Patel twins were sniggering with Romilda Vane. Only Tonks could talk about such horrifying creatures and make people laugh.

'And with that, my dear listeners, I'm afraid our time is up. Tune in this Friday at seven for the next Potterwatch episode. The password will be Emmeline.'

'That was wonderful,' gushed Lavender. There were noises of agreement, and some second-year students began clapping enthusiastically.

'We should listen to it every meeting,' said Demelza. 'End every meeting with it, so we know what's going on.'

They all agreed that this was a superb idea, and began to leave the Room in small but happy groups, whispering their thoughts on the latest news as they went.

Ginny hugged her goodbye to Luna, feeling her rebellious spirit return. 'We'll start our next round of mischief making soon,' she assured her.

'Ooh, good,' Luna replied. 'The next issue of _The Quibbler_ will be out soon too. I'll see you in Potions tomorrow.'

As she lay in her four-poster bed that night, Ginny had no fear of whoever had betrayed her, or the threat of the Carrows, or even how Snape had confined her to the castle. Harry wandered in and out of her thoughts, his green eyes burning, the feel of his hands sweeping back her hair. She knew he was out there, she could imagine him in some remote corner of the country, perhaps sitting by a fire under a dazzling sky with Ron and Hermione, plotting their next move. Her brothers had been right; the wireless programme had helped her believe in him again, helped her abandon her hopeless feelings of abandonment and encouraged her to fight against the regime in a new way.

She felt ablaze with determination, and excitement kept her awake well into the night, staring out of the window at innumerable stars.


	16. Chapter 16

It was well known that as winter approached, Hogwarts became increasingly beautiful. The surrounding landscape would become crisp and dramatic with frost, fallen leaves were captured in the bracing air, and when there was little cloud cover the sky was a magnificently wintery deep blue. Over the years, Ginny had looked out at the scenery and felt Christmas excitement, but one cold morning in late-November, the beauty of the grounds seemed entwined with something terrible. Heavy mist had sunk, apparently from the mountains, into the grounds, and though the winter sun made it look soft and appealing, she felt unsettled, as though the land were hiding a deep and dark secret.

'Zaha says she saw a Dementor out there yesterday,' said Demelza, joining Ginny at the window. 'Just at the edge of the forest.'

'Good thing we've all been practising our Patronus charms then,' replied Ginny, attempting an upbeat tone.

In truth, Ginny was finding it increasingly hard to stay resilient. She had not received post from her family in days, and the snippets of news she heard from other students were always of people vanishing, bodies being discovered and draconian new laws. The only anchor of hope she could cling onto was Potterwatch; one-by-one various members of the Order and her family had been speakers on it, and though much of the news was horribly depressing, it was not second-hand gossip from other students, which was oddly soothing in the confusing climate of chaos.  
Arabella Figg had gone missing, there had been an instance of Muggle hunting reported in Thirsk, a family called the Cattermoles had escaped to France, and Seamus had burst into relieved tears when it was reported that Dean Thomas had met Ted Tonks and joined him on the run in the wilderness.

'See?' Neville had said reassuringly as Seamus sobbed. 'He's fine! Even managed to get a message to them to let us know he's safe.'

'He's smart, Seamus,' Lavender added. 'I bet he knew just how worried you'd be and wanted you to know what's happening. He knows you care.'

They had even been updated on Harry, Ron and Hermione. Lee's voice had coolly announced that 'while contact with Potter has not been made directly, we have received information from a close source that he and his companion are alive and well, working relentlessly against You-Know-Who, and can confirm that it was indeed Potter who infiltrated the Ministry in September.'

The announcement had made the D.A members erupt in cheering and applause, many students jumping up and down so vigorously that the Room of Requirement's torches shook in their brackets. Lavender had started crying, Seamus punched the air in delight, and Neville had gripped Hannah Abbot in a fierce hug.

'Isn't it wonderful?' exclaimed Pavarti. 'What d'you think he's doing?'

'Something heroic, no doubt,' said Romilda soppily.

'I wonder who the close source is?' said Ginny. 'How do they know he's all right if they haven't made direct contact with him?'

'It's Harry! He always manages to be all right one way or the other,' said Seamus.

But Ginny remained obsessed with finding out who the source was, lying awake hours into the night desperately running through Order members and people Harry trusted enough to speak to. There weren't many.

Hearing about Harry was infuriating. It had at once filled her simultaneously with hope and with unease. Firstly, because she didn't see how he could make contact with anyone safely, and, secondly, because it was still essentially rumour. Until she saw him living and breathing in front of her she would not be satisfied that he was safe.  
Luna's smuggled _Quibbler_ magazines did not offer much more information on who the source could be, although it did suggest that Harry could be raising an army of Umgubular Slashkilters. Luna also promised her that they had big plans to write more about Harry. The temptation to write to her family and ask directly grew every day, so she threw her energy into the D.A in an effort to distract herself.

'I was thinking of teaching everyone my Bat-Bogey jinx,' she told Demelza as they made their way to Transfiguration.

'But that's your signature spell!'

'Yes, but it would be nice to see it around a bit more. Preferably being tried out on some Slytherins.'

Demelza giggled, and they entered the Transfiguration classroom enthusiastically creating a list of targets they agreed were quite deserving of the jinx.

'-And Malfoy, obviously,' finished Ginny, settling down at their desk behind Colin.

'Did you hear about him?' asked Colin, turning so quickly in his seat that his ink pot went flying. 'Him and Carrow?'

'No?'

'Carrow hit him! First Slytherin to be punished by them, I think.'

'You're joking?' said Ginny. 'What for? I'd have thought they'd be best mates.'

'Seamus says that Amycus Carrow was trying to make them learn the Imperious curse, and he told Malfoy to demonstrate it on Pavarti, but then…' He fell silent as McGonagall entered the room, marching in with her usual stern expression.

'Robins, come and hand out these mice,' she barked. Demelza pulled a face, but rose obediently. Colin turned back to face the front.

'Then what?' whispered Ginny urgently.

'He refused,' Colin whispered back over his shoulder.

'What? Why?'

'Dunno.'

Ginny could barely concentrate on vanishing her mouse. What on earth would make Malfoy suddenly gain a conscience?

'Miss Weasley,' said McGonagall. 'If you could stay behind for a few moments after class, I need to speak to you about your essay.'

Her stomach plummeted. That really had been an appalling essay. Feeling slightly ashamed, she gave her mouse a sharp prod with her wand. Nothing happened, but the creature gave a very loud squeak.

'Sorry,' she muttered at it.

'Did you struggle with that essay too?' asked Demelza kindly. 'I didn't understand it at all, just copied from the textbook.'

'I'm going to fail my N.E. ,' said Ginny miserably. 'I'll end up working on the Knight Bus, or in Magical Maintenance or something.'

'No, you won't, you did really well on your O. . Anyway, I thought you wanted to play Quidditch? You don't need N.E. for that. You may as well drop out at this point, you'd get on a team straight away.'

'I don't think my mother could live with the shame of a fourth child dropping out. She doesn't think Quidditch is a good career path anyway,' she added, wrinkling her nose.

'What does she want you to do then?'

'I don't know, something respectable at the Ministry, I suppose.' She wondered vaguely if her mother's opinions would have changed now that joining the Ministry was effectively working for Death Eaters. Her father was still working there, of course, but she didn't think it would be long before he'd have to leave.

She approached McGonagall's desk with trepidation at the end of class, taking a deep breath. 'Professor, I'm sorry about that essay, I know it wasn't very good, but in my defence-'

'Sit down, Miss Weasley,' said McGonagall patiently, conjuring a chair opposite her desk. 'Your essay was fine.'

'Oh. Er…' She sat, and McGonagall surveyed her carefully over her glasses.

'I feel I must ask if you know who informed Potterwatch that Mr Potter, Mr Weasley and Miss Granger are all alive?'

Ginny's heart sank. 'The Order doesn't know?'

McGonagall glanced to the door, raised her wand and quietly cast a charm over them. 'All I know is that it has come from an Order member, I hoped that it was possibly a member of your family…?'

'Oh… No... At least, nobody's told me anything.'

'I see. I apologise for asking. I am quite concerned, of course, and would appreciate hearing about them for myself.'

There was an awkward pause. Ginny was not sure she had ever seen the usually stern McGonagall quite like this before. The fierce protectiveness and anxiety over the welfare of her students was etched upon her face in stressed lines and exhausted eyes.

'I didn't realize you listened to Potterwatch, Professor,' she said.

There was a trace of a smile. 'Naturally. I'd quite happily speak on it as a guest if my voice was a little less recognizable. I hope I am correct in thinking it's a Gryffindor favourite in the evenings?'

Ginny bit her lip. It was a risk, but she didn't know another teacher that she trusted more. 'Well… Sort of. We've… Do you remember the D.A?'

Now Professor McGonagall really did smile; a wry, unsurprised smile that immediately put Ginny at ease. 'I assume this has something to do with the recent rise in revolutionary misdemeanors? I'll ask no more.'

Ginny grinned back, but there was a heaviness on her chest. 'Does this mean it's still just a rumour that they're all right then? If even you don't know?' To her embarrassment, her eyes were becoming hot with tears. A feeling like homesickness was making her heart ache, and she half-expected her mother to march through the door and hug her.

'I suppose, though it's certainly better than rumours of the opposite nature.'

'I need to go home,' said Ginny abruptly. 'I need to see my family.'

'You know you can't,' said McGonagall firmly. 'I'm sorry, Miss Weasley-'

'-Professor, please-'

'-But we cannot arouse suspicions by allowing you to return home. The Christmas holiday is in just two weeks, and then you will be able to see your family. Our best chance of helping your brother, Potter and Miss Granger is keeping a low profile and persevering through the new regime… perhaps with a little disruption from yourself and other inclined students.'

Ginny nodded dully, hardly caring now that she was close to crying. 'But they're probably all right, you think? Ron and Hermione and…?'

'As far as we know,' said McGonagall. 'I understand you have Herbology next? I have already spoken to Professor Sprout. She is happy to cover for you if you don't feel able to go.'

'No, I will,' said Ginny. She could think of nothing worse than sitting in the common room and letting her imagination run away with her. 'I'll be fine. I'm doing quite well, you know, doing the D.A and helping Luna hide copies of _The Quibbler_ round the castle, in library books and statues of armour and things…' She was babbling, and revealing far more than she should. She trailed off and paused, before adding glumly, 'I just worry about them. All the time. But I'll go to class. I need to keep myself distracted.'

McGonagall nodded sympathetically. 'If you're sure, Miss Weasley. Do try to think of this as a positive development.'

But it wasn't a positive development, Ginny thought as she made her way to the greenhouses. It was hardly a development, little more than hearsay, so secretive that even a senior member of the Order wasn't aware of where it had come from. The only people on Potterwatch that week had been Lee, Lupin and Bill. She doubted Lee was quite close enough to Harry or Ron to be trusted to contact, and he barely knew Hermione at all. Bill would certainly have found a way to tell her or her family, he'd know how much it would mean to them. Lupin, however, had made contact with them once before since the wedding, and with a flutter of hope she recalled the twins telling her that he, Tonks and Mrs Tonks would be joining them for Christmas. She resolved to get the information out of him one way or the other, and felt safe in assuming that Tonks would be a useful ally. It had to be him. It had to be.

The next two weeks went by at the pace of a flobberworm, and Ginny spent much of it feeling viciously impatient. She was able to unleash some of her frustration on Crabbe and Goyle, who made the mistake of walking alone through the grounds beneath the Astronomy tower, where she had chosen to go and sulk. The bats that battered them round the heads cheered her up immensely. She had also been very satisfied with Neville and Hannah, who, apparently inspired by a recent Herbology lesson, sneakily levitated small amounts of Hippogriff manure into the robe hoods of the unaware Carrows.

At the last D.A session of term, she was able to catch up with Pavarti, who told her more about Draco's unfortunate encounter with the Carrows.

'It was really weird,' she said. 'He didn't seem sure of what to do at all, he just looked embarrassed and awkward. Completely out of character.'

'Huh,' said Ginny, feeling rather clueless. They stood in silence for a few minutes, watching Seamus demonstrating the Levicorpus spell on a first year, who was squealing in delight. 'It wasn't a big gesture to show that he secretly likes you then?'

'Oh, Merlin no,' she said, laughing. 'No, he did it in the end, once Carrow had slapped him round the head. He looked furious though, I don't think he ever expected to be treated like the rest of us.'

'What did he make you do? Are you all right?'

'Nothing, really, just walk around the room a bit and stand on a chair. Carrow looked a bit disappointed, but I think he regretted hitting Malfoy, so he didn't say anything.'

The other mystery that occupied Ginny's thoughts was who had betrayed her and Luna to the Carrows. She had been very secretive around her dorm mates since then, but nobody had shown any signs of guilt and all three had continued to attend D.A meetings, apparently without tipping off any Death Eaters. She had begun to wonder if rather than an attempt to support the Carrows, it was something more personal against Luna. She had a tendency of making people feel rather uncomfortable, and Polly, Zaha and Demelza were all visibly irritated when Luna sat with them at meal times.  
This was most evident just a few days before the end of term, when before Luna had fully sat on the long wooden bench, Polly burst out with, 'you'll get us all into trouble if you keep sitting here!'

Luna raised an eyebrow. 'I just thought you'd all like to see the latest edition of _The Quibbler_.'

'We would,' said Ginny firmly, throwing a filthy look at Polly.

Luna reached into her bag and pulled out the glossy magazine. Harry's face smiled from the front of it, under a bold red headline saying 'SUPPORT HARRY POTTER'.

'It's a good one,' she said proudly. 'Daddy's thrown all caution to the wind.'

'Bloody hell, Luna,' said Seamus, looking rather alarmed. 'You might as well have written "arrest me" as the headline.'

Luna ignored him and flattened the magazine out on the table, opening it to the editor's letter on the first page, where a small picture of Mr Lovegood's head stared out at them with a, thoughtful, pondering expression. Everyone gathered round to read, craning their necks awkwardly.

 _Dear Readers,_

 _It is the duty of every witch and wizard opposed to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to support Harry Potter, the Chosen One who will bring about the end to this violent conflict. We will no longer pander to the sensitivities and fears of the general public at the expense of justice. To stay silent and conform to Ministry law is to condone and support You-Know-Who himself. For years we have allowed You-Know-Who to advance and wreak havoc on our proud nation by willingly swallowing propaganda against Potter._

 _It was this magazine alone, dear readers, that in 1995 supported Potter and Dumbledore as they desperately tried to warn us of the horrors awaiting. It was this magazine alone that enabled Potter to reveal how he witnessed the return of You-Know-Who, free from cruel slander. It was this magazine alone that has unrelentingly supported the Boy-Who-Lived, never repeating the vicious and false accusations of mental instability and violent temperament._

 _This edition will therefore continue our support of Harry Potter, by republishing that same interview, and taking a closer look at the life of the Chosen One, from infancy to present mystery. The features that follow are not authorized biographies, but have been created in good faith from valued and trusted sources who have been appalled at the lies printed against him._

 _I urge you to read carefully and join me in open support._

 _Xenophilius Lovegood._

'Fantastic, Luna,' said Ginny. 'How on earth are you getting these in? You're brilliant.'

Luna beamed. 'I'll make plenty of copies and put them in books in the library; leaving them behind tapestries isn't working anymore, I don't think, they're getting found by Filch. Spread the word, they'll be in books about magical creatures.'

They spent a few more minutes flicking through the magazine, marveling at the pictures of Harry and the detailed accounts of his life. 'How did you get this one, Luna?' asked Ginny, pointing to a picture of the house at Privet Drive Harry had grown up in.

'Daddy knew Mrs Figg. She sent us this about a week before she disappeared… Gave us lots of stories about the section on his childhood too. She'd been meaning to send it to us for ages, but there were Death Eaters watching his old house for months in case he came back.'

Seamus snorted. 'Stupid prats. There's no way Harry would hang around there, he hated it, we used to hear him moaning about it to Ron, didn't we Nev?'

Neville nodded absentmindedly. 'It looks so… ordinary. I always thought Harry would have grown up somewhere a bit more exciting.'

'Carrows,' said Polly sharply.

Neville seized the magazine and clumsily hid it up his shirt. Pavarti wrenched her Gryffindor tie off and hurriedly pushed it over Luna's head, Demelza and Colin scooted along in an attempt to hide her from view, and Ginny set her face into one of complete innocence.

'What's going on?' asked Alecto Carrow, glancing shiftily across the group. Out of the corner of her eye, Ginny saw Zaha silently slip away, unnoticed by the Carrows.

'Nothing,' said Neville. 'We're having dinner.'

'Why were yeh all crowded round like that?' asked Amycus. 'All bunched up together. What was it yeh were all looking at?'

They were silent, some of them attempting confused shrugs.

'Well, yeh not supposed to gather in groups of more than three anyway,' said Alecto. 'All student groups and societies-'

'It's dinner!' exclaimed Seamus. 'We're not gathering, we're having dinner.'

The Carrrows still looked suspicious and Alecto looked enraged at Seamus' cheek, but as quickly as she had gone, Zaha had returned, trailing behind Professor McGonagall.

'Is there a problem?' asked McGonagall, looking at the Carrows with distaste.

There was a long pause. 'Just keepin' an eye on them,' said Amycus.

'Good,' said McGonagall. 'I need to speak with a few of them anyway, if you'll give me a few moments?'

The Carrows reluctantly walked away, and Professor McGonagall began discussing their recent Transfiguration grades, glancing sideways at the retreating backs of the Death Eaters as she did.

'Incidentally, Miss Lovegood, you ought to return to your own table. I think you should count yourself lucky that they didn't notice you.'

'Pavarti lent me her tie, so I wouldn't stand out,' said Luna. 'It was very smart of her.'  
'Indeed, but all the same, let's not push your luck any further… I believe Madam Pince will be in a meeting with me for the hour after dinner, if you need to get any homework done…'

Ginny could have sworn that she gave them a wink.

***

The last day of school arrived in a flurry of hail, stinging Ginny's cheeks as she loaded her trunk into the carriage. That Dementors were roaming the grounds was no longer a rumour; they lingered at the edges of the lake, drifting back and forth between swirls of mist. They were far enough away not to pose a threat, but Ginny could still feel a creeping sadness at the edge of her mind, and she thought inexplicably of the sound of dripping water.

As soon as the carriage door was shut, however, warmth returned and her excitement grew as she thought of home. By the time they were clambering onto the crowded train, she was practically bouncing with excitement.

'Any plans for Christmas?' she asked them cheerfully, peering into the compartments. 'Ah, I think this one's free…'

'Just family, I suppose,' said Neville. 'Gran keeps going on about how you never know what might happen so we all have to make the most of it.'

'My mum's the same, she's invited some family friends apparently, I don't know how we'll all fit...' The train shuddered into motion, and Hogwarts, barely visible through the grey hail and fog, began to crawl away from view. 'Reckon anyone is staying?'

'I think lots of Slytherins are,' said Luna.

'Makes sense,' shrugged Neville. 'How did distribution go, Luna?'

'Oh, very well,' she replied, looking pleased. 'I checked this morning and all the magazines were gone, even the one I put in _A Wizard's Most Thorough Encyclopedia of Magical Snails_. I think the next order will have to be much bigger.'

'How _are_ you smuggling them in?' asked Ginny, curiously. 'It's been driving me mad trying to figure it out.'

'Daddy's been transfiguring them to look like _Magda's Magical Maxipads_ ,' replied Luna casually.

Neville blushed so deeply that Ginny couldn't help but howl with laughter. 'Are you serious? It's that simple? They fell for that?'

'Yes, well, it's Filch and Amycus Carrow that check our post, isn't it? They're so squeamish about witches products that they barely hold them long enough to run the detectors over them, it's a bit sad really. I just reverse the spell once I get them.'

'That's genius, Luna,' said Ginny admiringly. 'I should tell Fred and George. Poor Filch, I bet he's been feeling really uncomfortable.'

Neville shook his head, dumbfounded. 'That's just… Bizarre.'

Ginny sniggered, but wasn't able to tease Neville due to the arrival of Seamus, who looked rather serious. 'Are you all right?' she asked him. His face was pale, and his eyes watering slightly.

'Yeah, I just… It's stupid…'

'Sit down,' ordered Neville. 'What's happened?'

Seamus sat heavily, placing trembling fingers over his eyes. 'Nothing's happened. It's just… I'm feeling a bit… Where will Dean be at Christmas, you know? I helped him put protective charms over his mum's house, but he can't go back and…'

'He'll be all right,' said Ginny gently. 'He's with Ted Tonks and Dirk Cresswell, remember? I've never met Ted Tonks, but I know his daughter and she's brilliant. I imagine Ted's a top bloke.'

'And Gran knows Dirk,' added Neville. 'He's really nice, honest. They won't have a great Christmas, but he won't be on his own.'

'I just miss him,' said Seamus gruffly. 'It was always me and him, y'know?'

'I know,' said Neville, quietly. For a moment, there seemed to be the trace of resentment in Neville's face, but he seemed to shake it off quickly, giving Seamus a reassuring slap on the shoulder. 'It'll be all right,' he said bracingly. 'Things will be back to normal soon enough.'

The train began to slow. Ginny frowned. 'This can't be good…'

The hail and sleet was still hammering the train, splashing against the window with such ferocity that they were blinded to the outside world. She could hardly see if the shifting grey was water or the shadows of people.  
The shouts and shrieks confirmed it.

'Death Eaters again,' said Seamus. 'Bloody hell, they already searched for him when we were coming in, why would he be on the train going out?'

Neville pressed his face against the compartment door to look down the corridor, and swore quietly. 'It's that Lestrange bloke…'

'Rodolphus?' asked Ginny.

'No, the other one, the one who got his head stuck in that jar and kept turning from a baby to an old man…'

Seamus, who had apparently not heard this story, looked utterly perplexed. Ginny furrowed her brow, deep in concentration.

'I think Harry said his name was Robson? No… Rab… Rabastan!'

Neville swore again, this time much more loudly. 'I think he saw me, he's coming this way-'

The door slid open, and a thin, jittery-looking man appeared, two larger men flanking him and looking down at them menacingly. His eyes darted quickly around the room, and settled on Luna, who returned his piercing glare with a bright, wide-eyed contemplation.

'Lovegood?' he asked abruptly.

'Yes?'

He launched forward. As he did, the two figures either side of him raised their wands, and Ginny felt invisible ropes pushing her back and binding her to the seat. She screamed and kicked against them, jerking her shoulders as she tried to reach her friend, but Lestrange had grabbed Luna roughly, one hand vice like on her upper arm and the other entangled in her hair.

Ginny's wand had been on the seat next to her hand, and she managed to grab it and yell out a stunning spell, but she hadn't been able to aim and so the jet of red light bounced off the wall opposite, above Lestrange's head, and was lazily blocked by one of the Death Eaters still at the door.

'Let go of her!' roared Neville. 'Leave her alone! Luna! LUNA!' Ginny and Seamus joined him, screaming her name in a desperate, pleading prayer as they writhed against their magical constraints.

Luna made no sound as they hauled her from the train. They watched helplessly as she was pulled to her feet just outside the compartment. She gave a small, hopeful smile at them through the glass, before a black cloth bag was pushed roughly over her head, and she was dragged away.


	17. Chapter 17

Molly Weasley was in a bad mood. She was stomping round the kitchen, with such a fury that the room seemed to shake, waving her wand roughly at a pile of pots that began arranging themselves clumsily on the shelf with a clatter.

Ginny gulped down her stew anxiously, holding her head low to the bowl and glancing up at her mother whenever she dared.

'I'm sure he didn't mean to upset you, Molly,' said Arthur carefully, swiftly pulling a chair out of her way.

'Oh, I'm sure he didn't!' she snapped. Her cheeks and ears were very red. 'I'm sure he couldn't have foreseen that we might want to spend Christmas as a family!'

'It might make it easier, Mum. You know, to fit everyone in…' said George. Ginny felt his bravery was bordering on foolishness.

'Easier?' shrieked Molly. 'Easier! I don't care about it being easier, I care about us all being together!'

'Yes, but-'

'You be quiet, George Weasley! Bill's being selfish and I won't hear another word said about it!'

Suitably chagrined, George exchanged a glance with Fred and fell silent.

'It's probably Fleur,' said Ginny, hoping to give Molly a new person to blame. 'I bet she's the one who wants them to spend Christmas alone.'

'Hmmph. Well I hope she knows the impact it's had on us all!'

'We don't know that Fleur had anything to do with it,' said Arthur, throwing a stern look at Ginny. 'I think it's quite normal to want to spend your first Christmas as a married couple-'

'Not during war!' said Molly. 'Not when…Not when people are vanishing and your sister's trapped at school and your brother's Merlin knows… Merlin knows where…' With that, she promptly burst into tears, and there was an awkward pause before Arthur rose and embraced his wife.

'Ron's fine,' he said soothingly. 'Remember?'

'That was weeks ago now!' she wailed. 'Anything could have happened since then! If they made contact before, why can't they again? Why haven't we heard anything else?'

'None of that's Bill's fault, is it? He should be allowed to lead a normal life.'

'He should still want to come and spend Christmas with us,' said Ginny, who like her mother was feeling rather stung.

'You're not helping, Ginny,' said Arthur, frowning at her accusingly. 'I know we're all disappointed, but it's not the end of the world. And George is right,' he added to Molly. 'You were worried about where we'd put everyone after all.'

'Yes,' sniffed Molly, wiping her eyes. 'I suppose now Remus and Tonks won't have to sleep in the living room.'

'Fleur's still the reason though,' muttered Ginny under her breath. Arthur shot her another look.

'We'll have a lovely time,' he told Molly. 'And we'll see Bill soon.'

'But what about Ron?' said Molly, and her voice was barely more than a whisper.

'Without Ron here, there'll be enough food for the rest of us,' said Fred.

'That's not funny, Fred,' Molly replied, with a slight hiccup. But Ginny could see the corners of her mouth twitching, and she pulled away from her husband to continue with cleaning up, somewhat calmer than before.

'When're Tonks and the others coming?' asked Ginny. She'd been desperate to see her old friend who, in the absence of Hermione, was like an older sister to her.

'Tomorrow,' said Molly. 'I thought it would be nice if they spent Christmas Eve and Boxing Day with us too. Poor Andromeda has been so stressed without Ted, and I want to keep an eye on Remus.'

'He's not planning on leaving again is he?' asked Ginny furiously.

'Oh, no! At least, I don't think so. No, I just think he's very troubled at the moment, and could do with having lots of company.'

'He seems fine on Potterwatch,' said Fred. 'Positively cheerful. Most enthusiastic of the lot.'

'That's just because he's hoping Harry's listening,' said George irritably. 'You've heard him, blathering on about how he wants to apologise to him.'

'You don't think he was the one who managed to make contact?' asked Ginny sharply. 'That's what I assumed.'

Fred shrugged. 'Who knows? Anyway, that reminds me, Ginny, we want-'

'No, Fred!' said Molly loudly.

'-You to help us with the Boxing Day broadcast,' he continued.

'Me? You two haven't even been on it!'

'Well we haven't had anything to say yet, have we? We've just been helping in the background. You've got plenty though.'

'Fred, I mean it,' warned Molly. 'We've already spoken about this. She's too young.'

'What can I say?' asked Ginny. 'Why should I be on it?'

'All that stuff you've told us about what's been happening in Hogwarts, and Luna being dragged off the train. The public needs to know,' insisted George. 'And don't look at me like that, Mum, you know she won't be in any danger.'

Molly pursed her lips but said nothing, apparently aware that she was outnumbered. Ginny looked uneasily at her father, who gave a small smile.

'I think it could be very good,' he said gently.

'I have been wanting to do something,' Ginny admitted. 'Surely everyone's heard about Hogwarts from their kids though?'

'Not everyone has kids,' Arthur pointed out. 'And some children might not be brave enough to tell them the full story.'

'I'd like to,' she said fiercely. 'I want to.'

'Good,' said Fred briskly. 'Always thought you had the face for radio anyway.' She hit him.

They spent the evening decorating the Christmas tree in the corner of the living room, with shimmering baubles and enchanted gems that twinkled and shone. Fred lifted Ginny onto his shoulders so that she could place a golden phoenix (that she suspected was left over from the wedding) on the top.

'You're getting fat without Quidditch,' he complained.

She gave him a sharp kick in the ribs. 'Shut up! You're just getting scrawny and weak.'

He let her down with a grin. She stumbled slightly, but grinned back and accepted his one armed hug.

'Not bad,' said George. 'I wouldn't have put the tinsel there, though. I'd have put it along here so it was a bit more balanced.'

'Yeah? Well, I'll tell you where I'd put it, I'd put it right up your-'

'Mince pies!' sang Molly as she entered the living room carrying a heavily-piled plate. 'Oh, and I think it might snow tonight!'

Fred rolled his eyes. 'It never snows at Christmas, Mum. And if it does, it doesn't settle.'

'Well it feels very chilly to me! Stick another log on the fire, Freddy, and if you found my blanket that would be very much appreciated too.'

Her mother seemed to have cheered up since her tearful episode earlier, but Ginny could still see a certain strain in her smile and a falseness in the way she hummed along to the carols on the wireless. She tentatively curled up at her mother's feet by the fire, Crookshanks promptly following to settle in her lap, and looked up at her.

Her knitting needles clacked and she didn't look down, but spoke with a quiet softness that told Ginny that their conversation was quiet private, even with the rest of the family in the room. 'Everything all right, Ginny?'

Ginny considered her for a moment. Fred and George had pulled out a game of Exploding Snap, and it sounded like her father was already snoring over his glass of brandy. 'I miss them too,' she said simply. 'I'm very frightened.'

To her surprise, her mother gave a small smile. 'Well thank goodness for that, I thought I was the only one. I wasn't sure if you'd fully comprehended the seriousness of the situation.'

Any other day, Ginny would have felt quite insulted at the suggestion that she'd been thinking with childlike naivety, but she'd been trying so hard to hide her terror and emotional fragility from her family that she was hardly surprised. 'I understand,' she said. 'I understand all of it.'

Molly sighed, stopped knitting and raised her eyes to look carefully around the room. 'I had seven children,' she said, her voice low. 'This house was bursting at the seams with children, and noise, and colour…' She glanced at Fred and George, who were shrieking with laughter and smoking at the eyebrows. '…And explosions.'

'You still have seven children,' said Ginny.

'Where are they?' she asked. 'There are only three here. My eldest is scarred and apparently no longer wishes to spend Christmas with his family, another is thousands of miles away fighting some of the most dangerous creatures on the planet. One more has disowned us entirely-' Ginny raised her eyebrows; she had never heard her mother speak so calmly about Percy before. '-And now my youngest boy… Well who knows?'

'He'll come back,' said Ginny. 'They all will.'

'I'm so glad Harry came into our lives,' said Molly honestly. 'But I do sometimes wonder how we ended up in the middle of all this. I begged my brothers not to join the Order of the Phoenix, and I was right, they did end up dead. I vowed I would never let any of my family become soldiers again, and here we are, right in the centre of it all.'

'They won't die,' said Ginny, and she knew she was speaking the truth. 'They won't.'

But Molly shook her head gently, and a tear escaped down her cheek. 'I've let my family fall apart. I wasn't always like this, you know. I used to be just as strong and feisty as you. But it changes when you have children.'

'Everything will be all right,' whispered Ginny. 'It will. It's just this Christmas that will be a bit quiet, but I bet Ron will be back for next Christmas, and Bill, and maybe even Charlie…' She couldn't bring herself to say Percy's name.

'Of course it will, dear,' said Molly, and the brightness had suddenly returned to her voice. 'It's getting late now. Off you pop.'

As Ginny traipsed up to her room, she wondered glumly whether she had been at all successful in comforting her mother, finally deciding hours into the night that some worries and sadness could never be fixed with words.

***  
Remus, Tonks and Mrs Tonks arrived the following afternoon, shaking off slushy snow that Fred insisted was in fact sleet. Ginny had never met Mrs Tonks, who had apparently become good friends with her mother, but was struck and slightly disturbed by her resemblance to her sister, Bellatrix Lestrange. It did not help that Mrs Tonks seemed to have a naturally serious expression, but when George cracked a terrible joke she smiled with the same luminosity that Ginny had seen hundreds of times in Tonks.

Tonks herself seemed deliriously happy. Her stomach now showed the obvious bump of pregnancy; Ginny had been nervous when hugging her about squashing the baby, but Tonks' energy and mischievousness had apparently not been dampened by impending motherhood.

'I'm going to name it Wolfgang if it's a boy,' she said.

'We are not,' said Remus firmly, though he was smiling.

'We are,' she said. 'And if it's a girl, just Wolf. Very modern.'

Remus rolled his eyes but looked fondly down at his wife, before greeting Ginny with an awkward pat on the shoulder.  
'Er… I'm sorry about when I saw you last…'

'It's fine-' Ginny started to say, but Tonks interrupted.

'And?'

'And I acted very selfishly. I was completely wrong. Utterly, and unforgivably-'

'Oh, enough whining,' groaned George. 'If I have to listen to you apologising one more time I'll down a bottle of Skele-Gro.'

'Apologise again,' said Ginny eagerly, but they were ushered into the living room.

'Now seriously,' said Molly, as everyone settled down, with the exception of Ginny who was offering round egg-nogg.  
'What _are_ you thinking for names?

'No idea,' admitted Remus.

'I've been telling them they'll need to decide soon,' said Mrs Tonks disapprovingly, looking to Molly for support. 'I said they should go to a naming seer if they can't decide-'

'My parents thought the same thing, and believed my name meant I'd finish my father's work against the evils of lycanthropy,' said Remus, smiling slyly.

'I suggested Pleione for a girl,' Mrs Tonks continued, apparently choosing to ignore her son-in-law. 'And for a boy-'

Tonks groaned and threw her head back against the sofa. 'Merlin, Mum, you already cursed me with Nymphadora, wasn't that enough for you?'

They began to squabble, so Ginny seized the opportunity to approach Remus, under the guise of offering him a drink.

'Oh, thank you,' he said cheerfully, taking a cup.

'I know it's you,' she said dangerously.

He looked alarmed and confused. 'Sorry?'

'You have to be the source.'

'The source? The source of what, exactly?'

'You must have been the one to contact Harry, Ron and Hermione.'

He looked utterly bewildered. 'It came from your family didn't it? I was rather hoping you'd know, I'd really like to get hold of him.' He glanced at Tonks' baby bump, then back up at Ginny, who was still watching him suspiciously.

'Honestly, Ginny, I haven't seen him.'

'It didn't come from us,' she said bluntly. 'And they don't know Lee well enough. When did you see him? Are they all right? What did they say?'

He looked sympathetically at her. 'I'm sorry, Ginny,' he said, and with a sinking realization she heard the honesty in his voice. 'I haven't been in contact with him, or any of the others.'

She began to turn away, now sure that it really was just a rumour, but Remus seized her arm. 'I heard about Luna,' he said.

'Yes,' said Ginny, realizing that even in such a short word her voice shook. 'Yes, they took her.'

'I'm sorry,' he said. 'She was a wonderful girl. So bright.'

'She's still wonderful, and she's still bright,' said Ginny firmly. 'If they wanted to kill her, they'd have just done it there.'  
Remus opened his mouth to speak, but they were interrupted by Tonks' frustrated growl. 'Rukbat? _Rukbat_? Mum, what is wrong with you?'

The rest of the evening grew increasingly merrier. Arthur brought out various bottles of festive alcohol and rather foolishly allowed Fred and George to be in charge of topping up people's drinks, heavily encouraged by Tonks, who had decided that if she was going to be sober her husband was going to be drunk.

'I don't want a hangover on Christmas morning,' he groaned.

'I brought some Draught of Chlorella for tomorrow morning,' she said brightly, as Fred poured him another glass of mulled wine.

'That stuff never works,' he muttered, but did not need more persuading to drink more, happily sipping the hot drink. Ginny too, was poured a rather generous glass of wine, though Molly's eyes narrowed and Fred did not dare pour her more for the rest of the night.

When Molly and Andromeda finally stopped hassling Tonks about baby names, Ginny approached with a plate of mince pies. 'Merry Christmas,' she said.

Tonks beamed up at her. 'You too, I've been missing you! Ooh, ta.' She took a mince pie and nibbled the crust delicately, though it still crumbled down her front. 'Oh look at me, I'll never be the domesticate goddess that keeps a happy kid and a spotless home, will I?'

Ginny giggled. 'I can't think of anything worse. Are you excited?'

'Of course! We're moving all our stuff out of Remus's place soon, we're going to move in with my parents so there's enough room.'

'Just until we sort something out,' interrupted Remus quickly. A pink glow had appeared on his cheeks. 'We'll find a proper place soon.'

'Yes,' agreed Tonks soothingly. 'It's just hard to find somewhere good for kids at the moment, but it won't be long before we find somewhere big enough. I'd like a nice sized garden too.'

'How much room do babies need?' asked Ginny, dumbfounded. 'They take up less space than a kneazle.'

They both laughed, and Ginny was pleased to see Remus looking relaxed, though she suspected the mulled wine may have helped. Molly had turned up the wireless, and Celestina Warbeck was belting out a powerful ballad, which Fred and George were miming to dramatically.

'How's Hogwarts, Ginny?' asked Tonks.

'Shit,' replied Ginny bluntly.

Remus nodded. 'We thought it might be. The twins told you about our Potterwatch idea?'

'Yes.'

'And?'

'I'd love to. I reckon I'll be really good at it.'

'Course you will, you gobby little madam,' teased Tonks, throwing her a wink. 'It'd be nice if you could talk about Harry too.'

'I can't let anyone know it's me though, can I?'

'No, best keep it vague,' said Remus. 'Even the most innocent of anecdotes can reveal clues to your identity. We have noticed that people like us talking about well-known stories though, even if we're just repeating the same old legends.'

'Counter to the propaganda, I suppose,' said Tonks. 'Have you heard the latest rubbish they're saying about him?'

'No,' said Ginny. 'I don't read _The Prophet_ anymore.'

'Probably best. They're saying his scar's a mark of evil.'

'Well… it is, isn't it?'

'Not the way they're saying it. They're saying that he grew up as a cursed child and it made him bloodthirsty and ruthless, and that it may not have even been the Avada Kedavra curse that caused it,' said Remus.

'They're trying to tear down his identity as The-Boy-Who-Lived,' said Tonks, rubbing her bump absent-mindedly. 'Get rid of all the old stories and replace them with something sinister.'

'It's already quite sinister,' said Ginny. 'Used to frighten me to death as a kid.'

From the other side of the room, Arthur snorted loudly. 'Ginny, you used to request that story every night.'

The room laughed, and Ginny felt her ears redden. 'It still frightened me!' she protested. 'I was just a brave kid, I liked being scared.'

'Plus you always talked about the party afterwards,' said George, coming, quite to her surprise, to Ginny's defense. 'In Diagon Alley.'

'Ooh, yes, do you remember it, Arthur?' squealed Molly, placing a hand to her cheek delightedly. 'The fireworks, and all the flags and bunting, and everyone cheering-'

'Old Bertie Goldstein climbed up onto one of the lampposts and led us all in a rousing rendition of Auld Lang Syne, for some reason, if I remember rightly,' said Arthur.

'I _think_ I remember,' said Tonks, scrunching her nose. 'I can remember you and Dad getting me out of bed, Mum. And someone enchanted confetti to fall from the sky.'

Andromeda smiled warmly. 'Yes, I think you spent most of the day very confused. Your father spent most of it very drunk.'

Ginny laughed with the others, but her face fell as she caught glimpse of Remus, who looked glum and lost in thought. The rest of the room had not noticed; they continued swapping anecdotes and gleefully remembering their celebrations.

'I'm sorry, Remus,' Ginny said quietly.

He smiled at her bracingly. 'Don't be silly. See? People like that old story. Bill will remember it, we'll get him to tell it on Boxing Day.' He looked down at his wife's stomach and his smile grew wider. 'Of course I hope this war's over and done with as soon as possible, but it would be nice if the baby has some memories of victory day.'

***  
Accustomed to having a minimum of nine people to cook Christmas dinner for, Molly had made far too much food. It didn't matter though, though Ginny as she made a mountain of parsnips on her plate, because it was so good that she was determined to eat the lot, even if she was sick.

'You took the crispiest one!' moaned George. 'You don't appreciate them like I do.'

'You don't deserve them like I do,' said Ginny. 'Cracker?'

They pulled, the canon-like blast making Molly jump, and though George won easily, he handed her the captain's hat and pack of gobstones. He glanced at the joke, shook his head in disappointment and scrunched it up. 'You just don't get good humour these days.'

'Be fair,' said Fred. 'Most of our humour is not suitable for the dinner table.'

Arthur led the Christmas Day toast, Remus wincing a little as he drank his champagne, and allowed Fred the honour of carving the turkey, which he did a horrible job of.

'Baby's kicking,' Tonks told Remus quietly half way through the dinner. Unfortunately, Molly heard.

'Oh, let me feel!' she cried, getting to her feet and hurrying round the table. Tonks looks a little exasperated, but allowed Molly to feel her stomach – quite an odd thing to do, Ginny thought, but she had no time to mention this  
before Molly had seized her hand and placed it on Tonks too.

It was an odd sensation that Ginny was not sure she liked, but there was something warming about imagining the tiny foot against her palm. 'Sorry,' she whispered to Tonks, when they had returned to the food. 'That must be weird.'

'People do forget that it's your body,' said Tonks, but she sounded amused. 'I sometimes think- Oh!'  
The door had opened dramatically, and Ginny immediately thought they were being attacked, her hand leaping to her wand, but there stood Bill, looking distressed and panting. 'Is he here?' he asked. 'Is Ron here?'

'R-Ron?' asked Molly faintly.

'He was right there with us,' said Bill frantically. 'But he's gone!'


	18. Chapter 18

There was an awkward, cold silence around the dinner table. Ginny, like the rest of her family, stared coolly at Bill, who had sat heavily at one of the empty places, his head in his hands. Fleur had followed him into the kitchen moments later, and hovered awkwardly beside him, looking anxiously around the table.

Molly placed a cup of tea firmly in front of him, then returned to her seat with a grave expression. 'Explain,' she said. Bill rubbed his forehead.

'I will, I will… I just…' He looked at Fleur. 'Where else could he have gone?'

'To your aunts?' she suggested. 'We could try zere-'

He nodded, and began to rise, but Arthur interrupted them with a snap. 'He won't have gone there. If he's left of his own accord, I'm sure he knows what he's doing. Sit down and explain to us.'

'I could get him to come back,' Bill said desperately. 'I just need to-'

'Bill,' said Remus quietly. 'Tell us what's going on and we may be able to help.'

Bill looked up at Fleur, who cocked her head at him and sat down. He sighed and looked unhappily into Remus's eyes, before abruptly confessing, 'I lied to you. I'm sorry. I was the one who tipped off Lee for that broadcast.'

'I think we've all guessed that,' said Molly, who looked furious. 'So he's been with you all this time, has he?'

'Yes,' said Bill, who at least had the decency to look ashamed.

'What about the others?' asked Remus. 'Were they with you too?'

'No, just Ron. He got separated.'

'Why? Asked Ginny. 'Is he all right?' A thousand terrible scenarios flooded through her mind. What could have torn those three best friends apart?

Bill and Fleur exchanged glances. Bill seemed on the verge of saying something.

'What?' asked Molly, her voice higher than normal. 'What happened to him?'

'Nothing,' said Fleur quickly. ''Ee iz fine!'

'What're you hiding then?' accused George.

'You should all know that he completely regrets what I'm about to tell you… And I made it clear to him that it was not acceptable…'

'Spit it out, Bill!' said Tonks.

Bill threw the briefest of glances at Remus, then looked directly at his parents. 'He argued with Harry… And then stormed off.'

'He what?' Ginny growled. She could feel herself shaking, though she was not sure if it was from anger or fear. Molly's lips had formed a thin line, Tonks' mouth had opened slightly in shock, and Andromeda was shaking her head vaguely. Fred and George had decided that the reasonable response was to swear and insult Ron as loudly as possible.

'Boys!' said Arthur impatiently, raising a hand to silence them. 'Let him finish! What did they argue about, Bill?'

'I don't know, he was really cagey about everything. Seemed really ashamed of himself-'

'As he bloody well should be!' exclaimed Fred.

'He just said that they were all having a tough time, and it got to him a bit, and they both said things they shouldn't have-'

'They can both have tempers,' said Arthur heavily.

'Well, yeah,' admitted Bill. 'But I think it went further than that, he couldn't bring himself to say it. Anyway, he said he got caught up with a bunch of Snatchers-'

'Oh, Merlin!' cried Molly, throwing a hand over her heart.

'He was all right,' Bill assured her. 'Apparently they weren't very smart. But by the time he got back to where they'd been camping, Harry and Hermione had moved on.'

'Don't blame them,' said Ginny sourly. 'The stupid git, why couldn't he put his pride aside for once?'

'It's probably not easy for them,' said Remus warily. 'Living on top of one another like that. Not to mention the stress they must be under…'

Bill nodded, and took a sip of his tea. 'He made us promise not to tell you all because he was so embarrassed — Mum, I'm sorry…'

Molly's eyes were full of tears. 'Never lie to me again, Bill Weasley.' He balked at her cold tone. 'I don't give an owl's hoot if he was ashamed. Do you know what that would have meant to me? To know he was safe with you?'

'Well he's not there anymore,' said Bill. 'He spent every day sulking in the spare room, we could barely get him down for meal times, the only time he came down willingly or of his own accord was when Potterwatch was on — said he was hoping he'd hear a rumour about where they were so he could find them again. But when we went up to get him to come down for some Christmas dinner, he'd gone.'

'Do you think he heard something? And ran off to find them?' asked Andromeda.

Bill shrugged. 'I assume so. But he was adamant that he'd never be able to find them. He said they'd been Apparating to random places, then moving on after a night or two.'

'But what are they doing for food? Warmth?' asked Molly. 'They must be exhausted.'

'Ron was very skinny when 'ee arrived,' said Fleur grimly. 'We've 'ad to fatten 'im up again.'

'Well, now we know why Ron lost his temper and had a big fall out with Harry,' said George, with faux-cheerfulness. 'He was a bit hungry. Poor Ron…'

'He was really quite thin,' said Bill sharply. 'From the sounds of it they've all really been struggling.'

Ginny found herself staring at her mountain of food, feeling quite guilty. She was struggling to think what she would eat if she was out in the bleak countryside. Blackberries, maybe? Mushrooms? She doubted she'd know which were safe to eat.

'They have a tent though,' Arthur said softly to Molly, who was now clearly fighting back tears.

She nodded and gave a small sniff. 'You should have told me, Bill. Why didn't you tell me?'

Bill looked devastated, and simply shook his head. 'I'm sorry, Mum, he made me promise… I'm sorry…'

'At least you know he's alive and well, Molly,' said Tonks. 'And if he has vanished so suddenly, it will be because he's worked out where they are somehow. If he hasn't, he'll be back at Bills, and then we can all go round and shout at him together.'

'How long as he been staying with you?' asked Remus.

Bill scratched his jaw absent-mindedly. 'Er… A few weeks now. He said the night he left, they overheard Dean Thomas, Dirk Cresswell, a few goblins and your husband,' he nodded towards Andromeda. 'They were all eating together nearby, they couldn't make contact obviously, but he said he seemed fine — in good spirits.'

Andromeda burst into tears. Molly hurried round to hug her, and Tonks too, began to shake slightly, swiftly embraced by Remus. 'Oh, thank heavens,' gasped Andromeda. 'You're sure? You're sure it was Ted he saw? I thought it was just a rumour, I didn't want to get my hopes up…'

'Ron seemed positive,' said Bill. 'Lee was telling the truth on Potterwatch. That's how we heard about it, it wasn't Dean that contacted us, it was Ron. He said he knew you and Tonks would want to know he was all right.'

They drank in the information, all of them slightly stunned. Ginny was not quite sure how to feel. Relief and joy that her brother was safe, or had been for the last few weeks was entangled with fury that he had abandoned Harry and Hermione, and that he had deliberately isolated himself from most of the family. Though, given the expressions on Fred and George's faces, she could see why.

'He's a complete bastard,' said Fred bluntly.

'Just the worst,' agreed George.

'Stop it!' said Bill defensively. 'He seemed really upset about the whole thing, I think it just spiraled out of control-'

'And maybe it was 'Arry's fault too,' said Fleur. She nodded towards Remus. 'You know 'ow 'ee can get when 'ee is angry.'

'HEY!' Ginny stood up, her chair screeching on the floorboards. 'Now listen here-'

All the adults called for calm at once; Arthur threw an arm across Ginny, as though expecting her to launch herself across the table and attack Fleur, while Molly flapped her hands in an odd attempt to bring down the noise volume. Fleur looked quite horrified and embarrassed, clearly stunned that she had provoked such a reaction.

'I think we can all agree that Harry's anger at me was quite understandable and justified,' said Remus diplomatically. 'All the same, let's not all leap to vilifying Ron when we don't know what happened.'

Ginny sat back down reluctantly, deliberately avoiding Fleur's face.

'Ron clearly thinks he's in the wrong!' said George furiously. He pointed to Bill. 'You said he's been sulking and feeling guilty. It's because he's a massive bellend.'

'George!' scolded Molly. 'Not at the dinner table, and certainly not on Christmas day!'

'Oh, Merry bloody Christmas!' he said loudly, throwing himself back into his chair.

'I understand you're upset, George-' began Arthur.

'Upset? I'm not upset! Why would I be upset that Ron threw away his chance of actually doing something useful in the war? Why would I be upset that I'm stuck at home with a sodding ear missing because I risked my neck protecting Harry, when he can't even stick out some mildly shitty camping?'

'We don't know the half of it,' said Fred quietly, and Ginny whipped round to face him, startled. She had never heard the twins disagree on anything before. George fell into a sullen silence, pushing now cold brussels sprouts around his plate. There was an awkward pause, which Arthur decided to break by delicately asking if Ron had mentioned anything else they had been doing.

'Er… Oh, blimey, yeah — we were right, that was Harry and Ron in the elevator in the Ministry. Ron said it nearly killed him not saying anything to you, and Harry was trying to warn you that the whole family is being watched. He found a file in Umbridge's office about you.'

'What on earth were they doing in there?' asked Arthur.

'Trying to get the sword!' said Ginny triumphantly. 'Right?'

'No,' said Bill apologetically. 'He said they were trying to get hold of something that belonged to Umbridge, and they succeeded, but he wouldn't tell me what.'

'Oh,' said Ginny, feeling quite embarrassed. 'Well… That's good they succeeded.'

Bill hesitated for a moment, then said, 'He was very concerned about you, Ginny. Burst into tears when I told him about your detention.'

'Why?' asked Ginny. 'It was fine.'

'Come on, now,' said Fred. 'It was pretty dangerous. Centaurs aren't exactly friendly.'

She shrugged. Bill was looking at her very oddly, and it made her a little uncomfortable, so she turned to her father. 'The whole family's being watched? Shouldn't we… I don't know, go into hiding or something?'

'It's not a particular surprise,' said Arthur grimly. 'I think we're all right for now, and I certainly don't want to use our backup plan until we have to. But we'll need to be even more careful about communication. I don't think it's a good idea for you all to be meeting up in Hogsmeade anymore.'

'I can't anyway,' said Ginny. 'I've been banned, haven't I? Although…' a horrible thought came to her. 'We were talking so loudly about Potterwatch! If we're all being watched-'

'We'd have all been arrested already if anyone had overheard,' said Remus calmly. 'Don't worry about it. Though perhaps be particularly on your guard from now on.

'Right, well then,' said Molly suddenly. 'I assume now that you don't have Ron to hide, you'll be staying?'

'Oh,' said Bill, looking startled. 'Er…'

'Ron might return to the cottage,' said Arthur quickly. 'We don't know where, or why he's gone, so we shouldn't assume…'

'We would love to 'zo, of course,' said Fleur hastily. 'But-'

'Yes, well, as long as when he turns up again you bring him straight here,' ordered Molly. 'I mean it, Bill. Never lie to me again.'

Bill seemed to take this as his cue to leave, and bid everyone a hasty goodbye. 'Good luck with the broadcast tomorrow, Ginny,' he said as he hugged her.

'You're not going to be there?'

'Probably not. I'll see you soon though.' He hurried over to Remus and Tonks, giving her a kiss on the cheek and Remus a firm clap on the shoulder. 'Here's my address,' he said to them both, handing Remus a slip of parchment. 'Come in an emergency, it's completely safe, and we have spare rooms.'

They left, vanishing into the crisp winter air, leaving a house full of confused and conflicted people.  
'It's good news, Molly,' said Andromeda. 'You know he's alive, you know he's now well-fed, and you know he's gone off to try and make amends.'

'How hungry must Harry and Hermione be by now though?' said George, who was still sulking.  
Molly rounded on him. 'He is your brother! Have some sympathy!'

'Harry's practically my brother too!' shouted George. 'And Hermione's practically my sister! She's meant to be the girl Ron's hopelessly in love with, isn't she? And he abandoned them! He's as bad as Percy!'

'No wonder he made Bill promise to hide him!' snapped Molly. 'Things aren't always so black and white, George!'  
George rose and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

'I love Christmas,' said Fred. 'It's the family arguments that always make it extra special.'

***

By the next morning, George had calmed down. What Fred had said to him on Christmas evening Ginny wasn't sure, but hours later they returned from their old room and George apologized for making a scene, admitting that he was 'probably being a bit unfair'.

Ginny, Tonks and Remus had spent Christmas evening writing and rehearsing what Ginny would say on Potterwatch, and now she stood excitably by the front door, clutching a roll of parchment and beaming proudly. Tonks was awkwardly trying to fasten her travelling cloak over her bump, accidentally elbowing Remus sharply in the ribs as she did so.

'Not long now and you won't be able to Apparate,' said Andromeda warningly. 'This will probably be the last time you can do a broadcast.'

'Unless it's at our house,' said Tonks cheerfully. 'That could be fun.'

'Where is it today?' asked Ginny.

'Lee's,' said Fred. 'He lives on Euston Road.'

'Aren't you coming?' Fred and George were still standing in novelty Christmas socks, George yawning over a cup of coffee.

'Nah, you're all right,' he said. 'It's quite small and we've only been helping with the sound stuff so far, and Lee's sister can do that. Bill said he'd meet you there though.'

'We were thinking of writing some stuff for future episodes though,' said George. 'But Lee says it's not the right sort of medium for fart jokes, so we're not really sure what to do.'

'Ready to go?' said Tonks. Ginny nodded, practically tingling with anticipation. They left the house and stood huddled by the front door, the rest of the family waving at them from the kitchen window. She gripped Tonks' arm, and suddenly the world was a blur of colour. She felt the familiar, unpleasant squeezing sensation, and just when she was on the edge of panicking because she couldn't breathe, she was standing on damp concrete.

She panted and stumbled a little feeling nauseous, and looked over to see Tonks leaning against a wall, Remus rubbing her lower back. 'Ugh… I think my Mum was right… I'll have to stop Apparating here, there and everywhere…'

While Tonks recovered, Ginny took a moment to examine her surroundings. The road was wide and busy even in the spitting rain, but the place they had Apparated to was tucked away behind the entrance to the tube. Muggles, out for the Boxing Day sales, hurried by unseeing, heavily laden with bags. Tall, glass covered buildings reached high into the grey sky, and a black cab trundled past, splashing nearby shoppers with grimy water. Tucked stubbornly between two monstrously tall office buildings was a brightly coloured brick house, the high pitched roof looking a little ambitiously foolish squashed between the walls of the offices. At some point it may have been a rather rundown building, but the façade was a sunny yellow, and the square window frames had been painted a bold red.

Tonks linked arms with her, and guided her across the busy road (an experience Ginny found quite intimidating) towards the little house. The front door was pushed back a little; a bay window jutted out onto the street, taking up the rest of the width of the house. Rather than knocking on the door, Tonks gave a small grin and tapped on the side of the window.

A grumpy face briefly appeared from behind the curtains, and shouted, 'knock tha door!'

Tonks laughed, and gave a gentle rap on the knocker. They didn't have to wait long before Lee opened it, shouting over his shoulders. 'I am! I am! Come in, guys…'

The entered, and Ginny could hear a heavily accented woman shouting loudly. 'Lee! Who's knocking on ma windows?'

Lee rolled his eyes. 'Ignore her,' he muttered, then looked at Tonks sharply. 'Was that you?'

Tonks giggled. 'Sorry, couldn't resist.'

'Lee!'

'Leave it, Mum, it's the Potterwatch guys!'

She continued to shout, though Ginny struggled to understand her accent, and Lee led them up a flight of creaky, narrow stairs. The house was just as colourful inside as it was outside, and Ginny could smell something delicious and spicy from the kitchen.

They entered a room that had apparently been dedicated purely to radio broadcasting, with a wireless set dominating the room and multiple microphones floating by comfortable armchairs and poufs. Bill was already there, lounging casually on the windowsill and scribbling on a script. He raised a brief hand in greeting, but was engrossed in his work.

'STACE!' yelled Lee. Tonks and Remus settled into chairs, and Ginny awkwardly copied, trying not to make it too obvious that she was looking around.

'No Kingsley?' asked Remus.

'Oh, he's just a bit late I think- STACEY! …He'll be along soon.'

'Where's your dad today?' asked Tonks conversationally. A woman's voice began shouting down the stairs back at Lee.

'Doing some research for me, as it happens. Someone said they spotted Harry, and it sounds like a load of rubbish to me, but still worth checking out- Oh, good, you're here.'

A very beautiful young woman had entered, thick Senegal twists piled on top of her head. 'You didn't have to shout,' she said, but Lee ignored her. Lee introduced them all to his sister just as they heard his mother loudly inviting Kingsley into the home, and she turned to start fiddling with the complicated-looking knobs, dials and sliders just as he entered.

'Afternoon, all,' he said cheerfully, a copy of _The Daily Prophet_ tucked under his arm. They all gave him a lazy greeting, and he turned to Ginny. 'What's this I hear about Luna Lovegood? Is it true?'

'Yes,' said Ginny. 'She was in my compartment, I don't know where they've taken her.'

'Well, I wouldn't worry too much. Xeno Lovegood said recently that he was being pressurized for being too outspoken. I expect they're holding her as a threat to him, I'm sure she is alive.'

Ginny nodded. 'That's what I've been telling myself. I cried for days at first, but then I thought, they'd have just killed here there, wouldn't they? They took her for a reason.'

Lee wrinkled his nose. 'Is that the girl at the wedding who-'

'Yes,' said Ginny with a small smile. 'She's a tough thing, I know she'll be all right.'

'That's the spirit,' said Tonks. 'Shall we get going then, everyone?'

The Christmas episode of Potterwatch was more somber than they perhaps would have liked, but Ginny admired the steely expression in Lee's face as he read out the news, Kingsley's calm and collected manner as he explained the nuances of anti-Muggle sentiment, Remus authoritative but kindly voice as he explained the complexity of You-Know-Who's taboo, Bill's joy as he recounted the celebrations at the end of the first war (and his promises of even better celebrations to come), and Tonks' ability to inject humour into explaining complex shield charms.

'And now,' said Lee, grinning over at Ginny, 'Our final guest is particularly special. For one night only, welcome Roma!'  
The others clapped politely, and Ginny responded with, 'Thank you, L-River.'

Stacey covered her mouth in an effort not to laugh, and Lee widened his eyes and shook his head at her. ' _Roma_ is here today to tell us about the man we're all eagerly awaiting news on, Mr Lightening himself, Harry Potter!'

'That's right, River,' said Ginny, and she noticed for the first time in her life how terrible her own voice was. Tonks grasped her hand and smiled reassuringly at her, and the nerves melted away slightly. 'But I have unfortunate news too.'

'I assume this is in regard to the recent changes at Hogwarts? For our listeners, Roma is a current student at Hogwarts,' said Lee.

'Yes. I'm sure everyone is aware that Severus Snape, the man who murdered Albus Dumbledore, was this year named Headmaster. In addition, he has hired two known Death Eaters, Alecto and Amycus Carrow, as Professors of Muggle Studies and Defence Against the Dark Arts respectively.'

'Would our listeners be right in assuming that your year at Hogwarts has so far been unpleasant?'

'It has been horrendous. Corporeal punishment is handed out freely — both Carrows seem unable to control their tempers and have been witnessed throwing objects, beating and even cursing students. Draconian rules have been enforced which break up student socializing, confine us to our dormitories outside of school hours, and at times seem deliberately designed to catch us out.'

Remus scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it to Lee, who nodded and continued. 'And what has the student reaction been to this?'

'As you can imagine, people have resisted as much as they dare, but they are afraid. I know that a few weeks ago you announced the deaths of the Gardener family. Myself and several other students witnessed Samuel Gardner being pulled off the train by his terrified mother, never to be seen again. More recently, the sixth-year student Luna Lovegood, daughter of the editor of _The Quibbler_ was kidnapped from the Hogwarts Express by Death Eaters. Other students have returned from detentions with visible bruises, many have been threatened with the Cruciatus curse… Some have even received it.'

'It sounds like a terrifying environment,' said Lee gravely.

'It is. Students are certainly too frightened to speak out. But one thing is keeping us going. Many viewers may already be aware, but there was a brief period two years ago when Dumbledore was ousted from his position as Headmaster, and replaced by Dolores Umbridge. She was also unspeakably cruel to many students, creating many of the harsh policies and rules that are affecting us today. In particularly, she encouraged the isolation and rejection of Harry Potter, who at that time was trying to convince the wizarding world of You-Know-Who's return.'

She was growing in confidence now, slipping deeper into the conversation as though it were just her and Lee. He was also looking increasingly solemn, staring into her eyes and nodding slightly. 'I'm sure everyone remembers the rumours and lies that were unfairly encouraged against him at that time… Of course, now we know that he was right all along.'  
'Indeed. I imagine he felt as hopeless and lonely as many of the students do now. But to any of them listening, I say quite clearly… We did not give up in the face of Umbridge. Harry did not give up. We will not give up. During that year, Harry would stand, shout back, insist the truth. He never wavered from his convictions. He organized the students into a resistance. We resisted. And we can do it again.'

She chanced a glance at the others. They were looking grim, but inspired, as though awaiting a battle. She hoped the listeners at home felt the same way.

'In what way did he organize resistance?' asked Lee.

'He taught us. He inspired us. I know that many students, as well as those who left Hogwarts recently, will remember how he taught us practical defense, how he helped us feel prepared for the storm that was coming.'

'And that helped?'

'Undoubtedly. Being prepared, or feeling like you're preparing? It's a great comfort. It helps you feel useful. It gives you strength. It helps you recognize your own independence and skill. Because that's where your strength must come from, in the end. Not from words, or stories, or songs — not from others. But from within yourself, from your own abilities, your perseverance, and your determination to survive. Find that inner strength and use it to inspire and help others, just like Harry did.'

'And if Harry was listening, what would you say to him now?'

She had not been expecting this. Evidently it had been improvised on the spot by Lee. Something caught in her throat. _Are you there? Are you listening? Can you hear me?_

'We miss you.'


	19. Chapter 19

Ginny's dread of returning to Hogwarts only seemed to speed up the days, and as she boarded the Hogwarts Express once again she wondered whether it would be silly to start counting down to Easter. She found Neville and Colin talking seriously in a compartment halfway down the train, Colin fiddling with the strap of his camera anxiously.

'You were brilliant,' Neville told her after she'd greeted them. 'Gran couldn't believe it when I told her it was you, I recognized you right away.'

'You don't think anyone else will have done will they?' asked Ginny.

'Probably the D.A lot,' said Colin. 'But otherwise I doubt it. You really were fantastic, Ginny, really inspiring.'

'I think I just babbled a lot,' she muttered. 'I didn't think it would be so… awkward. I felt like an idiot.'

'Well you didn't sound like one,' Neville assured her. 'What you said about Harry shouting back to Umbridge, you're right, I should be shouting back against that nonsense in Muggle Studies.'

'I didn't mean that,' said Ginny quickly. 'I don't want you getting into trouble-'

'It's a bit late for that,' said Neville. 'Besides, some of us are going to have to get into trouble, aren't they? It ought to be Gryffindors. And Colin's had some ideas about how we can do that.'

'Demelza and her family were in tears when we were all listening to it,' said Colin. 'Dennis had to make everyone tea. It made me realize what a symbol Harry is.'

'Yeah, that's why they called it Potterwatch,' said Ginny. 'But I don't think we should rename the D.A.'

'That's not what I was thinking,' said Colin slowly. He looked down at his camera. 'Remember what you told us about the wedding? About how they tried to upset everyone with the photos?'

'Yes…' She tensed at the memory.

'And you know how every where's plastered in those posters of him, calling him Undesirable No. 1 and advertising the price on his head?'

'How could I miss it?'

Colin took a breath. He was now holding his camera, examining the lens carefully and looking extremely nervous. 'Images are important. Symbols are important. Ad so far they're just being used against us. Potterwatch is doing a good job with fighting against the propaganda, but visually we're still surrounded by reminders that they're winning.'

'Like the statue at the Ministry, you mean?' said Ginny.

Colin nodded. 'Yeah, I mean, that's a big example, but it's more subtle than that too. All the wanted posters, not just for Harry but for all the Muggleborns on the run… I was looking at them. The way they've been shot, it's very dehumanizing. They've used spells to changes the lighting on them to look more sinister.'

'So… What're you saying?'

'We start spreading our own propaganda. I doubt the Quibbler will be able to help anymore, so we'll have to do it.'  
Ginny stared at him. 'Produce a magazine?'

'Well, no, I was thinking we could just start sharing more positive photos of people, more inspiring ones, you know? And maybe some graffiti with inspiring messages, and-'

'Where are we going to get these images? Everyone's doing a pretty good job of lying low, and there aren't many pictures of Harry.'

Colin blushed deeply. 'Er…'

Neville snorted. 'Oh, Colin, don't tell me…'

'I want to be a photojournalist, all right?' he said hotly. His cheeks were such a vibrant shade of red that Ginny suspected he could be used to light a room.

'Have you been secretly taking pictures of Harry?' she asked, amused.

'Well he always got annoyed when he noticed so I… And not just Harry!'

Neville roared with laughter, and Ginny couldn't help but giggle too. 'You stalker, Colin,' she said. 'Who else then?'

'I mean… Mostly Harry. I was just trying to take photos of anything that could be news, or history, you know? So it was mostly Harry. Stop laughing!'

To his luck, their laughter and teasing was interrupted by a cautious knock on the compartment door. A shy looking Terry Boot peered through the glass, giving an awkward little wave.

'Come in,' said Neville cheerfully, motioning with his hand enthusiastically. Terry slid open the door and stepped through the threshold, looking highly uncomfortable. 'What're you looking so worried about?' asked Neville. 'We're not teachers.'

'Yeah, well, you're the leaders, aren't you?' mumbled Terry. 'I, er, I just thought you should know… I'm really sorry but the Protean charm on the coins started to wear off, so I did it again and I… I got it a bit wrong.'

'How wrong?' asked Ginny. 'They still work, right?'

'Yeah!' said Terry quickly. 'But, er, they work a bit too well now… Without yours in front of me I couldn't confine the adjustable properties to the principal components, thereby limiting the communicative element of the charm to-'

'In English, Terry,' prompted Neville.

'Everyone can adjust them now, not just Ginny, Luna and Neville, or temporary principal coins, like when you were lookout, Colin. Everyone with a coin can put any message on them.' They waited patiently, but Terry just looked at his feet and scuffed the floor slightly. 'Sorry,' he mumbled.

'What are you apologizing for?' asked Ginny incredulously. 'This isn't a problem! It's probably very useful.'  
Terry blinked. 'I just thought… I didn't think you'd want people being able to change it who weren't, you know, in charge.'

'We're all equal,' said Neville firmly. 'Ginny, Luna and I might do the organizing, but we're not here to boss people around.'

'Well, I might boss you around,' said Ginny fairly. 'But in a nice way. Terry, I can't believe you were so worried!'

'It's not how the charm is supposed to work,' he said unhappily.

'No, it's better!' said Colin. 'This is perfect! It'll be like email.'

'Like what?' asked Ginny.

'Never mind. Anyway, if we're clever enough, we'll all be able to talk without Snape or the Carrows knowing.'

'Have you told anyone else about this?' asked Neville.

'No,' replied Terry. 'I was too embarrassed.'

'We could tell everyone through the coins,' said Ginny, feeling elated. 'May I?'

Neville grinned. 'Go ahead.'

Ginny dug around in her pockets, pulling out the coin along with a handful of chocolate frog wrappers and the broken end of the quill. Colin, clearly eager to get his own back after being teased, laughed and slyly suggested that perhaps they should elect more organized leaders.

She stuck her tongue out at him, but couldn't hide the excitement in her face as her fingers nimbly changed the numbers and letters around the edge of the coin.

 _Great news, Terry worked on the coins so now everyone can change them! Ginny_

'Thanks,' said Terry, grinning proudly at his own coin. 'Let's keep telling everyone I did it on purpose.'

 _V. Exciting! Well done, Terry! Lavender x_

Neville gave a whoop. 'This is fantastic! This will really help people, and once we start spreading those photos Colin-'

'Isn't it great?' said Colin delightedly. 'I'm not sure I've ever been so excited to get back to school!'

 _Top work, Terry, should be jolly good fun. Ernie._

 _Can we say anything or does it have to be about the D.A? Romilda x_

Ginny rolled her eyes. 'These can't be used just for gossip, at the next meeting we'll have to lay down some ground-' She stopped mid-sentence as the coin glowed warm in her palm once more.

 _Nice to talk to you all again, guys, hope everything's going well. Dean._

There was a pause before the penny dropped, and they simultaneously roared with delight. Ginny was on the edge of tears, she pulled Colin into a fierce hug, they were yelling indecipherably, so happy to hear from their friend. Seamus burst into the compartment in tears.

'I told him! I told him to keep hold of the coin! He's all right, he's all right!'

Neville clapped Seamus on the back. 'Well answer him then! Play it cool, though, yeah?' he added, as Seamus seemed unable to keep himself together.

Seamus sniffed, and, with trembling fingers, tapped a reply back.

 _We're all missing you, mate, stay safe. Where are you? Seamus._

 _Safe, don't worry. Anyone know how I ended up on Potterwatch? Dean_

Ginny laughed as the rest of them looked at each other wildly.

'I thought… I thought he was the one who got in touch?' said Seamus.

'Yeah, that's a bit worrying, isn't it?' said Neville.

'Ron saw him,' said Ginny. They stared at her, mouths dropping open, now ignoring the pulsing warmth of their coins as people tried out the new feature.

'You kept that quiet!' yelped Neville.

'And I'll carry on keeping it quiet,' said Ginny sternly. 'It doesn't leave this compartment, got it?' She looked at Seamus. 'It's only because I can see how worried you've been that I'm telling you this. I shouldn't tell anyone really. Ron got briefly separated from Harry and Hermione and got in touch with one of my brothers. He's gone back to join them now, though.'

'How did they-? Colin began to ask, but Terry hesitantly interrupted them, staring intently at his coin.

'Er… Guys? Another friend…'

Ginny looked down, and almost fainted.

 _Ooh, glad you're safe Dean! I expect the goblins you were with used their telepathy to make contact._

'Is… Is that?' Neville looked as though he was too frightened to believe.

'It could be…' said Colin.

They all looked awkwardly at each other for a few moments, Ginny found herself holding her breath. 'I'll do it,' she said quietly, hoping, praying, that she was right…

 _Luna? Ginny._

 _Yes?_

Now it was Ginny's turn to cry, and when Neville gripped her shoulder, she could see that his eyes were shining too. 'I can't believe it,' she said. 'I can't believe it…' She was shaking too much to use her coin, so Neville took over.

 _Are you safe, Luna? We've all been so worried. Neville._

 _Sorry, I forgot I had the coin! I'm in a dungeon._

More taps on the compartment, and Ginny looked up to see that quite a crowd had gathered, all clutching their coins. A few squeezed in to the compartment, but most had to remain in the corridor, craning their necks to get a good look.

'Is it really Luna, do you think?' asked Padma Patil.

'Would anyone else talk about telepathic goblins?' asked Colin, and there were a few titters.

 _Where?_ Typed Ginny urgently. _We could get the Order to rescue you._

 _I don't know, but don't worry about me. I'm with Mr Ollivander, and perfectly fine._

Ginny beamed up at the crowd. 'She's ok. She's alive. We'll get her back before long!'

They cheered, some people crying, and Ginny found herself laughing. But very quickly, shouts of joy turned to shrieks of fear, and people began hurrying away down the train. Neville threw an alarmed look at Ginny, and they all hastily shoved their coins back into their pockets.

Draco Malfoy, a shiny Head Boy badge pinned to his robes and flanked by his usual bully friends Crabbe and Goyle, swaggered in. Some students had not managed to get away thanks to the bottleneck of panicked students, so Hannah Abbot hurriedly squashed herself between Neville and Seamus, Padma perched stiffly on Terry's lap, and two third year Hufflepuffs simply sat on the floor, looking terrified.

Malfoy surveyed the ridiculously crowded compartment coolly. 'What's going on?' he asked. 'Why were all those people here, Longbottom?'

'What people?' asked Neville.

Malfoy scowled. 'Don't play stupid with me. You know students aren't supposed to gather in groups larger than three.'

'At school,' retorted Ginny. 'We're not there yet.'

'I can still take points,' said Malfoy dangerously. 'Not that Gryffindor has any left to take.' He seemed to realize very quickly that they were beyond caring about House points, so attempted a new route of attack. 'Empty your pockets,' he drawled. 'I'm searching for contraband.'

Seeing no point in arguing, they did so, carefully pulling out handfuls of knuts and sickles in order to help further disguise the D.A coins. Malfoy's eyes flicked over them without really seeing, though he spent a long time inspecting Hannah Abbot's chocolate frog cards.

Ginny stared at him. Last year, Malfoy had looked ill, tired and generally upset, something Harry had always stoutly attributed to the murderous plot he was sure Malfoy was a part of. Now that it was over, and Malfoy's favourite teacher was Headmaster along with all his father's Death Eater friends high up in the Ministry, Ginny had been expecting him to return to the same arrogant bully he had always been. Crabbe and Goyle certainly looked happy; they were cracking their knuckles menacingly and grinning with sinister expressions at the Hufflepuffs. Yet Malfoy looked weary and disengaged. Even his disappointment at his failure to find banned items seemed half-hearted.

'You all need to be in your robes,' he muttered at them. 'We'll be there soon, and there will be consequences for those who don't look presentable.' He stalked out, leaving them in stunned silence.

'Was that it?' asked Hannah. Neville shrugged.

'He's right though,' said Terry awkwardly. 'I can see the castle on the horizon, I better head back and get changed.'

The evening meal at the castle that evening was delicious, but Ginny couldn't focus on her Yorkshire pudding. 'People have to stop staring at the coins all the time,' she hissed to Colin, watching Romilda Vane and Polly giggling over a message. 'It will give the game away!'

'It'll calm down once everyone stops sending unnecessary messages,' Colin said reassuringly.

'We might not have time for that,' said Ginny darkly. The Carrows had been looking at her and muttering together all evening, and students from across the school kept staring. 'I think my voice was more recognizable that I expected…'  
Colin looked at her, surprised. 'What, on Potterwatch?'

'Ssh! And yes, people keep looking at me.'

'It's in your head,' he said, waving a piece of broccoli on the end of his fork. 'You're just looking out for it because you're worried you'll be recognized, but people have been staring at you all year.'

'Thanks, Colin.'

'Any… Any word from, you know, the actual leaders of the D.A?' he asked, attempting a light and casual voice.

'No,' she replied sadly. 'I have been checking it and hoping, but I don't think any of them took their coins with them. Hermione just packed the bare essentials.'

'Shame,' said Colin, disappointedly. 'Well, I bet he'll be back before long. That's what we've got to keep telling everyone, I think. When we get back to the Common Room, I'll show you the first picture I think we should start handing out. I was thinking we could all take a few, and stick them up on walls with a permanent sticking charm, at night, you now…'

There was a tremendous scraping of wood and the clatter of cutlery as everyone rose. Ginny glanced up uninterestedly to see the staff filing out. Snape no longer bothered to dismiss them, but expected them all to stand whenever he entered or left a room. _Pompus arse_ , she though venomously.

'When's the next meeting, anyway?' asked Colin, grabbing an extra roast parsnip as they left.

'Er… Well, the next Potterwatch episode is on Friday evening, so then, I guess? Let's speak to Neville tonight and then-'

'Oi! Ginger! Ginger!'

Instinctively, she looked over her shoulder. Fighting his way through the crowd of students, Amycus Carrow was rushing towards her his eyes glinting with malice. Fear rose in her throat like vomit, and without thinking, she looked back ahead as though she hadn't heard him, speeding up her pace and trying to subtly push people out of the way.

'Come on, girlie, you know I'm talking to you…'

She tried to break into a run, but the sheer numbers of students, unaware that there was anything wrong, blocked her in every direction, sending her into an awkward, stumbling walk, now outright pulling people out of the way.  
Her heart was pounding. Something told her that she should not be caught. Her brain was screaming danger, and her legs tingled in the urge to run.

'Move!' she shouted at someone, and people were beginning to turn, beginning to realize something was wrong, some were even pulling their friends out of her path for her, but Carrow was now so close she could hear his wheezing breath…

'Ginny?' she heard Neville ask, but she shot past him.

She was almost at the staircases, she knew she could lose him if she could just start running properly, she could reach the Common Room-

His fat hand seized her hair roughly, and she yelped, pulled backwards and caught by his arms. He stank of tobacco and sweat. She was wincing, her eyes closed, but she could hear surrounding students gasping and whispering, and she hoped desperately that Zaha had done her usual vanishing act to go and find McGonagall.

'Like the radio, do yeh, ginger?' he giggled.

***  
It was freezing in the dungeons. She paced for something to do, shaking her arms and blowing on her hands in the darkness. She could hear a rustling in the corner, and was sure it was a rat, but otherwise there was no noise.  
When Carrow had dragged her there, she had thought it was one of the potions store cupboards, but it had been emptied, the shelves ripped out and the torch brackets removed. Now, the thick walls that had kept potions and ingredients safe and cool imprisoned her, and with no light, she had lost track of the time. Her coin glowed again, and she held onto it for a few moments, enjoying the warmth before reading.

 _There are Slytherins guarding the entrance to the dungeons, we can't get past. Neville._

 _Does anyone have any decoy detonators? Seamus._

 _Please, don't worry about me, guys. They haven't hurt me, just stuck me in here. Ginny._

She didn't want them to get into trouble, so was trying to discourage them from rescuing her, but all the same felt a swoop of disappointment at their messages. It was hopeless, this she knew. She had no idea how long they were planning to keep her in for, or whether they had any future plans for her, but she had been wholly unprepared for the reality of such isolation. Sympathy for Sirius was mixing unpleasantly with her fear, and she wondered how she would be coping if she didn't have the coin to communicate with.

She tried to take deep, calming breaths, but the air was so cold that it pierced her lungs. She kept exchanging messages, reassuring her friends that they could give up on their rescue mission without guilt, before they gradually faded away, presumably as people fell asleep.

No longer caring about the possibility of being bitten by a rat, she sank down against a wall in one of the corners, leading her head against the other wall and curling herself up into a ball, shivering violently. It was so cold that she felt as though her clothes were wet, and a great despair was filling her heart.

She tried to remember warm summer days by the lake, tried to fill her head with good, pure, memories, but as she imagined them, they shifted. Now, instead of the laughing, happy Harry in sunshine that she had thought of so often, she saw him standing knee-deep in the lake, facing away from her, a cold mist hovering above the still water surface, frost and grey skies saturating the world.

'I'm dead,' she could hear him saying, but he didn't turn to face her. 'Hermione and I starved to death. Froze. You'll never find us.'

He began to wade deeper, silently, barely making a ripple, and she couldn't get closer. She could hear wailing and shouting, but she couldn't enter the water, and she still hadn't seen his face, but he was going deeper and deeper, it had reached his shoulders but he still wasn't stopping.

Her eyes flew open, and she realised the wailing was coming from her. She stopped, taking deep, shuddering gulps of the cold, stale air. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and now she could faintly see the rough blocks of stone, the dark shape of something scurrying in the far corner, but nothing else.

She wondered if she had been asleep, or hallucinating, or whether it was simply her overactive imagination. How long had she been I here? Should she start counting? Other teachers would come, surely, Professor McGonagall definitely. Was she even still in the school? Luna said she was in a dungeon; was Luna here?

'LUNA!' she yelled. Silence answered. 'LUNA! ANYONE?'

There was nothing. She was alone, and there was no one to help her. She stood again. 'Come on now,' she muttered to herself. 'Follow your own advice. You don't need others… They're helpful, they're good to have, but you can do this, you are strong enough alone…'

Days passed, surely. The pang of hunger hit her, so furiously that she could think of nothing else. Her mouth was dry and she could feel no strength in her body. She held her hand in front of her face and tried to clench it into a fist. She may as well have tried to lift a lead cauldron. She thought of her mother, and began to weep.  
Her coin glowed warm again in her pocket and she seized it at once, wiping away the tears and staring at it greedily.

 _Ginny, have you been let out yet? Everyone x_

She smiled to herself, trying to keep hold of the gratitude that had filled her heart.

 _No, what time is it? Ginny_

 _Nearly first period, you've been in all night._

Was that all? It had felt like an eternity. She now felt a little embarrassed for her reaction, though nobody had been there to see it. She heard the cold scraping of metal and shoved her coin into her pocket, looking over at the door with what she hoped was a resilient and unbroken expression.

The light blinded her, but she blinked rapidly and through the hazy spots, she made out Alecto Carrow. 'Come on then,' said Carrow, as though she were about to take Ginny to the park.

'Am I free to go?' asked Ginny coldly.

'Not quite,' replied Carrow, with a nasty smile. 'I'm to take you to your first lesson.'

Ginny doubted it would be much use asking for breakfast or a shower, so followed Carrow silently through the dungeon corridors. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a dark, hooded figure float silently past. Carrow shot a streak of silver at it, though was apparently not able to produce a real Patronus.

Ginny shivered again, now realising why she had felt so cold and hopeless all night. She tried to run her fingers through her hair, neatening it up as much as possible before her class, though it was thickly knotted with tangles. She could hear Carrow sniggering, but ignored her stubbornly.

'No, this way,' said Carrow, jerking her head up the staircases as Ginny began to leave the entrance hall.

'I have Herbology,' said Ginny.

'Not today,' said Carrow. Something about her smile made the hairs on the back of Ginny's neck stand up, but she obediently followed Carrow, dreading a return to the dungeons if she disobeyed. Carrow led her to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classrooms, and she could hear Amycus Carrow's voice booming through the doors.

When they entered the classroom, the students spun to face her, and she realised with confusion and fear that they were seventh-years. Neville and Seamus both paled considerably, and looked at her with such horror that all she could do was shrug and mouth 'I don't know' at them.

Carrow took her to the front of the class and took a seat at her brothers desk, watching with the sort of excitement Ginny associated as coming before a firework display.

'Longbottom!' barked Amycus Carrow. Neville started, and stood quickly. 'You had plenty of opinions on this term's subject a few moments ago. Come up to the front.'

Neville exchanged a worried glance with Seamus, then slowly walked up to the raised platform to stand uneasily next to Ginny. She found that she could not look him in the eyes.

'I told yeh we'd be practicing,' said Carrow. Neville spun to face him.

'What?'

'Yeh thought I was joking, didn't yeh?' taunted Carrow. The silence from the students, and the expressions on their faces, chilled Ginny to the bone. There was something terribly wrong.

'Go on,' Carrow said. 'Practice. On her.'

Neville gave a weak, half laugh, looking around incredulously. The Carrows both continued to stare, smiling creepily.

'No,' said Neville, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. 'No, of course not. Is this a joke?'

'She's received detention,' said Carrow. 'It's only fair yeh lot have the chance to do some learnin' from it.'

'Go to hell,' said Neville, his expression suddenly darker and more thunderous than Ginny had ever seen it before. Carrow swung his arm and connected it to the side of Neville's jaw with an unpleasant crack. Neville spun with the force, stumbling off the platform onto the floor. Alecto Carrow and the Slytherins laughed.

'Who will do it then?' asked Carrow loudly. Half a dozen Slytherins stood quickly, their faces eager and greedy. 'Wonderful,' said Carrow, grinning wider than ever. 'Nice to see enthusiasm, ten points to Slytherin. My Goyle, why don't you be the first to try out our new system?'

'No!' yelled Neville, as Goyle gleefully rushed over to the platform. 'You're sick! Sick! Someone get McGonagall-'

'No one leaves this room,' said Alecto Carrow furiously, pointing her wand and silencing Neville.

'Go ahead, Mr Goyle,' said Amyus Carrow. Ginny half expected him to say 'tuck in'.

Goyle turned to her, and she looked into his pig-like face and knew instantly what was about to happen. He grinned, and raised his wand. 'Crucio!

It was not as painful as her previous experiences. This was clearly the first time Goyle had cast the curse. Yet she still dropped to her knees in agony, still scratched at her skin to try to rid herself of the fire rushing through her veins, still gave a growling shout of pain. Then, as quickly as it had started, it was over.

'Good attempt,' said Carrow approvingly, over shouting and crying students 'But you need to put a bit more strength into it. Remember what we discussed about _meaning_ it. Try again.'

By the end of the lesson, when the Carrows, Slytherins and a few other students had left, Neville and Seamus were supporting Ginny as she threw up violently.

'We'll never let that happen again,' said Neville fiercely, tears streaming. 'Never again, Ginny. Never.'

Authors Note: On other sites I have received some negative feedback regarding the realism of elements of this chapter. All I ask is that people please be patient and await the next chapter which will go into more detail. Thanks a lot.


	20. Chapter 20

Professor Sprout, concerned that Ginny had missed her first lesson, and Professor McGonagall, concerned that her current N.E.W.T lesson was missing several students, hurried down the corridor to the hospital wing, whispering frantically.

'I left Smith in charge, the students seemed very worried about her as well, you were quite right to fetch me, Pomona.'

'My students seemed to be under the impression she was dragged off after dinner, I can't believe none of them spoke to us-'

'Can you blame them? They're terribly nervous… Ah, Poppy. We were wondering if Miss Weasley was here? Or whether you've seen her?'

Madam Pomfrey looked up from a simmering cauldron, looking pale and as stern as ever. She gave a short nod, then scooped the silvery potion into a large goblet. 'Right this way,' she said curtly. The two Professors followed curiously; the hospital wing seemed completely empty. They followed her into her office, where to their surprise they found a small group of students huddled round a bed that had been pushed hastily against the wall.

Ginny Weasley lay in it, propped up by a good number of pillows, seemingly floating in and out of consciousness. Longbottom turned at their entrance, his face rather puffy and a dark bruise lining his jaw, holding Weasley's hand.

'What on earth…?'

'They tortured her again, Professor,' said Finnegan grimly, who was sitting at the end of the bed. Dragged her into our class and did it right in front of us. Got a student to do it.'

'Which student?' asked McGonagall sharply.

'Goyle. I refused,' said Longbottom. His voice was hoarse. He looked strikingly like his mother.

Ginny was only faintly aware of the conversation around her. She could hear Professor Sprout's outrage, and wondered if she should apologise for missing class. She couldn't quite find the effort to open her mouth though, so instead remembered when she and Hermione stayed up late knitting hats for house elves.

'Drink this,' came a calm voice, and she found the back of her head being supported by a firm hand, and a goblet pressed to her lips. She drank deeply. The potion was icy, but with it her body seemed to relax, her mind clearing. Over the rim of the cup, she could see Professor Sprout watching her tearfully.

When she had finished, she looked up at Madam Pomfrey, who placed her palm over her forehead, and then clicked her fingers by Ginny's ears. 'Can you tell me your name?' she asked briskly. Neville inhaled sharply.

'Ginny Weasley.'

'How do you make objects levitate?'

'Wingardium Leviosa.'

'Who's top of the Quidditch League at the moment?'

'Kettering Kestrels.'

Madam Pomfrey smiled. 'She'll be fine, you're just a little dazed, aren't you?'

'Yes,' said Ginny dumbly. 'I'm sorry.'

'Don't be stupid,' said Neville.

'I hope they're not planning to make this a habit every time I come back to school,' said Ginny.

'Well, if you're well enough to crack jokes, you're well enough to talk to me,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Pomona, I'm terribly sorry, I know it's your free period, but would you mind…?'

'Not at all,' said Professor Sprout, hastily wiping tears from her cheeks. 'I bet the power of being in charge has gone to Smith's head, I'll go and supervise your class now.'

'Thank you,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Perhaps suggest that I am still hunting down truants. I feel Miss Weasley's condition should not be discussed openly.'

'Not much point of that, Professor,' said Seamus as Professor Sprout left. 'Everyone's already gossiping.'

'And the earth is still turning, Mr Finnegan, life at Hogwarts will always remain so. Despite this, as teachers we should at least attempt to keep certain matters private. Now, tell me everything that happened.'

Between the three of them, they told Professor McGonagall the sudden and terrible events that had transpired, though even Ginny in her slightly confused state was wise enough to keep the coins secretive. She did, however, learn new information from Neville and Seamus.

'They were asking loads of us if we'd heard about a broadcast,' said Neville. 'Wanted to know exactly what was said, and whether any of us had heard.'

'They hadn't heard it themselves?' asked McGonagall.

Seamus shrugged. 'They were sure it had happened, but…'

'I bet they were tipped off,' said Ginny quietly. They stared at her.

'What d'you mean?' asked Neville. 'Tipped off by who?'

'Potterwatch is protected,' said McGonagall. 'And they wouldn't have known when it was on unless they were regular listeners. Is that what you're saying Miss Weasley?'

Ginny nodded. Memories and disconnected words were dancing tauntingly through her mind, but she was struggling to tie them together into a coherent sentence. 'We've thought before that… Someone in the D.A… Luna, the sleepover, someone must have…'

'Someone's snitched on you before,' said Neville quickly. 'That's what you mean?' Ginny nodded. 'I'd completely forgotten,' Neville continued. 'We knew it had to be someone in the D.A giving information to the Carrows, but we couldn't figure out who and we just ended up thinking about other things…'

He drifted off and exchange a glance with Seamus. Ginny wondered if they too, were thinking about the coins currently sitting in their pockets. 'That's why I was banned from Hogsmeade,' she said. 'Because someone tried to get me in trouble.'

'And if it's someone in the D.A, they will be a regular listener,' said Neville. 'We base our meetings around the broadasts.'

'I can't believe we just… Forgot,' said Seamus, with a stunned expression. 'I mean, how bloody stupid of us.'

'Not at all,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Young people often ignore information they don't like, and prefer to pretend there's no problem. It's a lesson you learn with age, sadly.'

A small bell sitting on the desk jumped a foot into the air and rang shrilly. Madam Pomfrey, pushed it down absent-mindedly and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

'We should be grateful, in a way, Miss Weasley,' said Professor McGonagall. 'If they were acting on the word of a tip-off rather than evidence they were probably hoping that you would-' She broke of suddenly, suddenly as alert and still as a hunting cat.

The murmur of a deep, bitter voice was audible through the door, mixed with Madam Pomfrey loudly protesting.

'Snape?' whispered Neville.

McGonagall rose. 'Stay here,' she said to them quietly. 'Don't make a sound.'

She shut the door too, but Ginny slid softly off the bed (supported by Neville), and the three of them crouched by it, pressing their ears against the gap.

'-attempting to locate her,' Snape was saying in a low voice.

'For what purpose?' asked Professor McGonagall. 'Poppy and I are trying to do the very same, to ensure her safety and wellbeing.'

'I'm sure,' replied Snape. 'I wish to do the same. May we discuss in the office?'

'We may discuss in _my_ office, Severus. Poppy, thank you for the tea, when I find Miss Weasley I will send her along.'

Neville tugged Ginny back and hastily helped her back onto the bed, Seamus leaping back to his chair in a flash. They waited with baited breath, but the door didn't open, and Madam Pomfrey seemed to busy herself in the wing.

'How are we going to hide you?' whispered Neville desperately.

'I guess I'll have to go home,' said Ginny.

'We need to find out who the bloody hell snitched on us,' said Seamus. 'Because even if you go home, Ginny, it will just be someone else.'

'Yeah, I'm not giving up on the D.A,' said Neville. 'Sorry, Ginny, I understand if you want to-'

'I'm not giving up,' she said swiftly, feeling a little offended. 'I know I've had a bit of a wobble, but-'

'It's more than a bit of a wobble,' said Seamus.

'But it's spurred me on, if anything,' said Ginny firmly. 'I'm not letting them think they've won, because they haven't.'

'You sound like Harry,' said Neville, shaking his head. 'Completely barking. So you're not going home then?'

'Not yet, I suppose,' she said heavily. 'I'd like to right now, but I know once I got home I'd feel bored and useless.'

Seamus raised his eyebrows. 'There are easier ways to entertain yourself than getting tortured, you know.'

She was about to answer, but Madam Pomfrey bustled back in, clutching a clipboard and a mug. 'My tea's completely cold now,' she grumbled. 'Come on boys, you can go back to class. Miss Weasley, you need more rest, I'll get you some dreamless sleep potion — NOW Mr Finnegan.'

'See you soon, Ginny,' Neville said, giving her hand one last squeeze.

'Make sure Colin and Demelza know I'm all right!' she called after them. 'And, er, don't forget that Galleon you owe me!'  
Seamus gave her a wink as they left, and she was grateful for the warm messages of support that soothed her as she lay hidden in the tiny office.

***

Ginny's return to classes seemed a highly delicate operation. Teachers hovered around her in corridors, regularly making excuses to walk with her to her next class. Her Muggle Studies and Defence lessons were regularly interrupted by teachers, Prefects and student messages, all with random requests or forgotten possessions. Even the portraits seemed to be in on it, watching her closely in the common room. Though Ginny was grateful for their concern, it put her rather on edge.

The D.A had rallied around her, furious at her treatment and eager for revenge. Polly, Zaha and Demelza provided sympathetic ears and warm hugs, soothing Ginny's rather increased paranoia.

'I just think you're so brave,' said Polly, handing her a mug of tea. 'I'd have gone straight home if it were me.'

'I couldn't even if I wanted to,' said Ginny. 'Will you sit with me in Muggle Studies though?'

'Of course I will! We're not letting you face them alone.'

She did not need to be particularly concerned. Though she had been expecting taunts, smug hints and gleeful punishment, both Carrows seemed irritated her, yet also apparently keen to avoid direct conversation or contact. Often she had caught them throwing filthy glances at her, but mostly they acted as though she didn't exist.

Around a week after her experience, Colin rather nervously showed her the photograph he felt should be shared around the school. There was Harry, kneeling over the body of Albus Dumbledore. The stories in the press had described him as disconnected, uncaring, even pleased, and slowly students had remembered how collected he had been, how reserved and serious. It was not a large leap of faith to begin to agree with _The Prophet_ , and the rumours that Harry had been the one to kill him had been given a breath of life.

Yet this photograph, captured so expertly by Colin, showed the reality. The low light from people's wands illuminated the undeniable expression of disbelief and devastation on Harry's face. She watched as photo-Harry reached out and straightened the glasses on Dumbledore's face. In a terrible, crushingly sad way, it was a beautiful photograph.  
That night, on Ginny's insistence, they silently snuck out of the Common Room. Her, Colin, Seamus, Neville, Lavender and Parvati, her most trusted members of the D.A. That Luna wasn't with them was painfully obvious, but their anger fuelled them. Colin handed them large wads of photos each.

'Don't forget the charm. Don't leave any or take any back with you. Don't forget the slogan.'

'And don't use the coins,' said Ginny quietly.

They took one floor each, with the exception of the dungeons, ground and first floor, and slipped silently away down the darkened corridors.

The reaction began at dawn, when the earliest rising students discovered the controversial redecoration of Hogwarts. Each photo blown up as big as each wall or other surface would allow, the dignified, heroic and humanised Harry looked down on the students of Hogwarts, reminding them of what they had lost. Beneath, in a wide variety of handwriting quality, bright red graffiti stated:

FOR DUMBLEDORE. FOR HARRY. DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY.

As furiously as they tried, neither the Carrows nor Snape were able to remove the photos (which had been stuck with an obscure permanent sticking charm Seamus had discovered) nor the graffiti, which they had etched into the walls before colouring in the bright crimson red. Whenever attempts were made to repair the castle walls and fill in the marks the graffiti had left, the stone would crumble away back to the message within minutes.

'I'm sorry, Professor,' said Flitwick. 'But this is the problem with permanent sticking charms. They are permanent.'

Carrow's growl of frustration did not quite stifle the sniggers of surrounding students, who scarpered as she reached for her wand.

The student community couldn't stop talking about it. Ginny's coin was in a near constant state of warmth as D.A members who hadn't been involved tried to find out the heroes behind the inspiring action.

 _Incredible work, such a beautiful photo. One of Colin's? Lavender x_

 _Who did this? So brave. Hannah_

 _Snape furious, excellent work mystery hero. Michael_

Ginny, however, remained extremely uneasy about using the coins. 'Someone's betraying us,' she said to Neville. It's almost certainly someone in the D.A.'

'They've never brought anyone to our meetings,' he pointed out. 'They've never disrupted any of our plans.'

'Yet,' she reminded him. 'We can't make plans using these anymore… Not til we've figured something out.'

Keen to avoid the Carrows, who were stalking round the school looking for someone to punish, Ginny took the opportunity of a clear Saturday morning to visit Hagrid. It was good to be in the open air, she breathed it in deeply, enjoying the smell of pine and frost.

She barely had to knock before Fang's howling barks announced her arrival, scratching at the door and whining.

'Ginny!' Hagrid beamed down at her, but hadn't been quick enough to hold back Fang, who leapt up so enthusiastically that she was pushed backwards onto the cold ground.

'Oof! Fang!' The dog slobbered over her enthusiastically, desperate to lick her face.

'Get off her, yeh ruddy great lump,' he pulled Fang off and extended a giant hand to help her up. 'How are yeh, Ginny? Come in, come in, I jus' put some tea on…'

'How's Grawp?' she asked, settling into one of Hagrid's oversized armchairs.

'Oh, 'e's fine, we've 'bin learnin' our ABCs… He struggles a bit with rememberin' the letters and all tha' but I'm sure we'll crack it soon.'

He handed her a large mug of oddly pink looking tea, which she tried her best to look grateful for. 'Are the centaurs not giving you trouble any more then?'

'Well, they don' like me being there, tha's for sure, but they can't do nuthin' when I'm with Grawpy. Their piddly arrows aren't goin' to make much difference to us. You're all righ', aren't yeh, Ginny?' He watched her carefully, and feeling a little awkward she blew slightly on her tea before answering.

'You heard about my welcome, then?'

'Course I blummin' well heard. Nearly marched righ' up to the castle t'sort them out for yeh. It's not righ', not righ' at all.'

She smiled at him. 'Thanks, Hagrid. I'm all right now though, really.' She took a sip of the tea and held back a grimace. 'Ooh, er, what's in this, Hagrid? It's lovely… Very… perfumey.'

'Quivering winter zinnia, I found 'em growing round by Dumbledore's grave. They're coming up lovely. I thought young Neville Longbottom migh' like some as a matter o' fact, I'll send some back with yeh. If he replants them they should hum. How is he? All of yeh still getting into trouble, no doubt?'

Ginny told Hagrid everything about the D.A, even the coins. She took great comfort in Hagrid's irrefutable loyalty, and the words came tumbling out of her mouth before she had time to think through what to say. She even confessed her fears about betrayal.

'So it must be someone in the D.A,' she finished miserably.

Hagrid's eyes had darkened significantly. 'Well I'm glad you brough' it up,' he said in a low voice. 'I was goin' t'speak to yeh about tha'…'

'You were?' Ginny said, surprised.

Hagrid gave a brief glance to the window. 'Yeh sure no one followed yeh down here?'

Ginny shook her head. 'I think they're all still fussing about the photos.'

He nodded, but drew the curtains anyway. Now in the low orange light of his fire and various lanterns, he looked unusually scary. 'I overheard an argument between Professor Snape an' the Carrows, first nigh' back.'

'When I was locked up?'

'Yeah… I was headin' up to the Headmaster's office 'cause my fourth years have got a timetabling problem - anyway, tha's not important. I didn' realise til later that they musta been talkin' about you. Snape was shoutin' at 'em, saying no, absolutely not, it was out of the question, an' that it wasn't good enough.'

'What wasn't good enough?' Ginny was watching, her mouth agape, struggling to comprehend the idea of Snape and the Carrows arguing so viciously.

'Well, they was saying tha'… Tha' the Dark Lord should know, an' tha' he was back in the country now so it would be no bother.'

Ginny was clutching her mug very tightly. She hadn't realised quite how close she'd been…

'But Snape was sayin' that they couldn't just trust the word of a random student with a grudge, an' that if they were wrong they'd all pay.'

'So they really didn't hear it themselves? Someone did inform them?'

Hagrid's face was a terrifying expression of fury. 'Someone musta done. The Carrows were saying that they could get it out of yeh, but Snape wanted hard evidence, not hearsay, if he was goin' to summon him. Said he wasn' goin' to risk his neck for the sake of some school gossip, an' tha' there was no proof there even was a radio programme.'

'Blimey…' whispered Ginny. She felt as though she had been hit by the Hogwarts Express. 'He didn't think whoever snitched on me was very reliable, then?'

Hagrid shrugged. 'I s'pose not. I reckon he was just frightened in case they 'ad it wrong. I didn' realise You-Know-Who hasn' been in the country, I s'pose they were all enjoying him not being around. He said he wouldn' summon 'im, but they could give you detention. I didn' know it was you, Ginny, I'm really-'

'You couldn't have done anything anyway,' she told him. 'And it sounds like I got off easy.' She took another sip of the sickly tea. 'They didn't catch you eavesdropping then?'

'Nah,' he chuckled. 'I know yeh won't believe me, but I can creep off quite quietly when I have to.' He patted Fang's head absent-mindedly. 'No idea who could be betraying yeh then?'

'No,' said Ginny quietly. The thought of it made her shoulders sink. 'And I have no idea how to find out. But these coins, Hagrid, I can't give them up. They're so useful for us. I don't know what to do.'

'I'm glad yeh fightin' back, Ginny, but perhaps lie low for a while.'

Ginny drained her cup. 'Absolutely not. But don't worry, I won't get caught.'


	21. Chapter 21

Ernie Macmillan had a morning routine you could set your watch to, so when Hannah Abbott tearfully approached the Gryffindor table to tell Neville that he hadn't turned up for breakfast, Ginny knew something was horribly wrong. Most of the Great Hall was still buzzing with activity, gossip and admiration for the photos of Harry that still, a week later, adorned a number of walls, yet Ginny and a handful of the D.A felt increasingly anxious as they searched for Ernie.

'I'll put a message out on the-'

'No,' said Ginny sharply, interrupting Lavender. 'No, don't do that yet.'

Lavender looked bewildered. 'Why not?'

'I just…' Ginny hesitated. 'I just think it's best we don't panic people, you know?' Lavender still looked confused, so Ginny hastily turned to Hannah. 'And you don't know where he went after dinner last night?'

'I just thought he was in the library,' said Hannah. 'But I went there in case he'd fallen asleep studying or something - he's done that before - but there was no sign of him. I've asked loads of others, but no one remembers him coming to the common room, and without Justin… without Justin h-here…' Hannah burst into tears again, allowing Neville to pull her into a sympathetic hug.

'Well, where's Zacharias?' asked Ginny gently. 'Or that other guy, what's his name…?'

'Wayne H-hopkins,' said Hannah, still taking deep, shuddering breaths. 'What if they've put him down in the d-dungeons like they did with you? What if… What if…?'

'Zacharias will probably be in the library, or a study room or something,' said Neville. 'He's been really stressed about N.E. … No one knows anything about Hopkins though, that kid's a loner.'

'That's because he's w-weird,' Hannah said into Neville's chest. Neville bit back a smile.

'I'm sure it'll be fine,' he told her.

'Hannah,' said Lavender kindly. 'Why don't you come with me? We'll find somewhere cosy to have a girly chat while the others look for Ernie.'

Hannah nodded glumly and took Lavender's outstretched hand, following her as though she were sleepwalking.

'Find Polly too,' Ginny whispered to Lavender as they passed. 'She's really good at finding the right things to say.'

Lavender looked a little put out, and in hindsight Ginny supposed she was suggesting that Lavender would not be able to find the right things to say, but it was true. Polly truly had been, out of all her dorm mates, the best listener and the most attentive of her needs.

She watched Lavender and Hannah disappear round the corner, presumably to find a secluded part of the castle to have a deep conversation, then turned to look expectantly at Neville.

'What?' he asked her, looking uncomfortable.

'Well, where to first? The library?'

'Hannah said she'd already been there,' said Colin. 'If she'd seen Zacharias, I'm sure she would have asked him.'

'Let's check the study rooms,' said Neville.

'Should we split up?' asked Seamus. 'To cover more ground?'

Neville nodded. 'Good idea. You and Colin take the ones from here up to the fourth floor, Ginny and I will check them from fifth through seventh.'

'If any of us find him, just put a message on the coin saying…' Ginny chewed her lip as she thought. 'Saying… Asking if anyone left a scarf in that room.'

Seamus nodded at once, but Colin stared at her, bewildered. 'Are we not supposed to use the coins anymore?'

'Shut up, Colin,' grumbled Seamus, grabbing him by the shoulder. 'Come on. We'll see you guys later.'

Neville and Ginny rushed up to the fifth floor at once. 'Hang on,' said Ginny, panting and clutching her stomach. 'Hang on… Merlin… Too many stairs in this sodding place…'

'Neville was panting too, red and sweaty in the face, but he grinned at her. 'Struggling without Quidditch, Ginny?'

'You sound like my brother,' she grumbled. 'Let's walk the rest of the way, I'm sure Ernie's not in that much danger…'

The corridor was quiet and deserted. Saturdays at Hogwarts used to be far busier, but with the threat of the Carrows joining Filch's patrols, most students now kept to themselves. The odd pictures of Harry that still had working sticking charms looked down at them solemnly. 'Shame Seamus's charm didn't work longer,' said Neville.

Ginny shrugged. 'Just makes room for the next lot. Perhaps Colin could go for a more cheerful one next time.'

Neville scrunched his nose. 'Doubt it. He wants to be a photojournalist, doesn't he? He mostly takes photos of depressing stuff. He's been taking photos of us, you know. At our meetings.'

'Has he?' asked Ginny, surprised. 'I've never noticed.'

'Yeah, well, him and Zaha, they could do anything sneakily, couldn't they? She's been writing loads and he's been taking the photos. They said they want to make an account for when the war's over, to show people what happened. They're doing it together, I think there's something going on there.'

Ginny stared at him, her mouth open. How did she know so little about her classmates? About Colin? 'How do you know all this?' she demanded.

Neville blushed. 'Well, the Gryffindor boy's tower is pretty empty, you know. You're the only full set of girls, and there are no full sets of boys. It's really depressing in mine and Seamus's room because there's three empty beds and it stresses us out, so we've just been mixing in our years a lot more. The other night I couldn't sleep so I went to see if Colin was up, and he was developing a load of photos of us listening to the wireless… Here we go.'

They had arrived at a study room. There were only a few students in there, most of them Slytherins, so they hastily backed out, heading back to the staircases to check the rooms above.

'Well that's stupid of him,' said Ginny. 'What if the Carrows find the photos? He's gathering evidence for them.'

'They won't find it,' Neville assured her. 'Zaha hides them for him, and she's brilliant at knowing where people won't look.'

'He should still be more careful,' said Ginny scoldingly. 'The walls have ears in this place.'

'Too right we do, missy!' squeaked the portrait of curmudgeonly old man.

The sixth floor had two study rooms, one of which was empty and the other which had an embarrassed fifth-year couple snogging furiously.

'Sorry,' Neville blurted, stumbling backwards out of the room. 'Sorry- I'll, er, close the door, sorry-'

When Ginny had stopped giggling and doing impressions of Neville and the hormonal couple, she looked up at the last flight of stairs. 'Any point going up there?' she said heavily. 'Who'd come all this way just to study?'

'Zacharias Smith,' muttered Neville grumpily.

Neville was right. There, in the highest study room at the desk facing the largest window, sat Zacharias Smith, sitting bolt upright while reading a monstrously heavy looking book. He didn't turn or acknowledge them as they approached. Neville cleared his throat awkwardly.

Zacharias sighed dramatically and lowered the book carefully onto the desk. 'Yes, Longbottom, what is it? I shan't be lending you my notes, I've already told you, it's unfair.'

'We were wondering if you'd seen Ernie, anywhere,' said Ginny. 'Hannah said he didn't turn up for breakfast.'

Zacharias glanced at her, looking bored, then addressed Neville. 'No, I haven't. He didn't come back last night. I had to listen to Hopkins droning on about gobstones club for hours.'

'Where was he?' asked Neville. 'Do you know what he was doing?'

Zacharias raised his eyebrows. 'How should I know? Can't you ask on the coin thingy?'

'Oh!' said Ginny. 'I'd forgotten.' She reached into her pocket and tapped out the message. 'Seamus and Colin will be along soon,' she told Neville.

Zacharias groaned. 'Oh don't bring more people up here, I come here for a bit of peace and bloody quiet.'

Ginny ignored him. 'What do we do now?' she asked Neville desperately.

But Neville was glaring furiously at Zacharias. 'You do know, Smith,' he said firmly. 'Don't lie to me.'

'I don't,' said Zacharias stubbornly, picking up his book again.

'Yes, you do. Why aren't you helping us? You're acting like a Slyth-'

Zacharias slammed the book down onto the table and turned to face them, pointing his finger at Neville's face. 'I'm just trying to keep my head down until all of this blows over,' he said. 'I never signed up to be any part of your little schemes, it's not fair that you put the whole D.A in danger just because you fancy putting up some pictures.'

'Well why are you in it then?' asked Neville, his fists clenched.

'To learn!' Zacharias threw his hands up in the air dramatically. 'This whole organisation was set up to learn Defensive magic because that Umbridge woman wouldn't teach us anything-'

'And to prepare us because You-Know-Who had returned!' interrupted Ginny hotly.

'-But now you've turned it into your own little revolution without consulting the rest of us!'

'Don't you want to end this war?' demanded Neville. 'Don't you want to support Harry?'

Zacharias took on an expression of exaggerated bewilderment. 'Look around you! Bloody Gryffindors, you never think. We're school children! A bit of graffiti on the walls isn't going to do anything! Just keep your heads down and get on with it, and stop putting the rest of us at risk.'

'Give me back your coin,' said Ginny coldly. 'You're out.'

'Who made you the leader?' asked Zacharias. 'We never had a proper vote, we never got to do hustings or nominate anyone, or put forward our manifestos-'

Neville burst out laughing. 'Stop being such a wanker and give us your coin.'

Zacharias dug into his pocket and flicked the coin up into the air at them. If he had been hoping they'd have to pick it up off the floor, he'd clearly forgotten Ginny's quick reactions. She caught it without breaking eye contact, and turned on her heel, marching coolly towards the door.

Seamus and Colin were about to enter the room as she left, but she pushed past them, muttering, 'don't bother, his head's too far up his own arse.'

Seamus gave an exaggerated frown, not unlike a sturgeon, as he nodded. 'Fair enough,' he said, then followed her.

'What do we do now, then?' asked Neville. 'Maybe he just skipped breakfast, maybe we should just go to lunch and-'

'No, we're going down to the dungeons,' said Ginny resolutely. 'There's nowhere else he could be.'

Clearly deciding she was not to be argued with, the boys followed her obediently down the stairs. Students were beginning to head for lunch by now, so Ginny had to push through the crowds, rudely using her elbows to make way, Neville apologising behind her as they went.

'Ginny,' Neville called over the humming noise of the crowd. 'D'you think it could have been him? Telling the Carrows?'

'Nope,' she shouted back, briskly. 'You heard him, he's keeping his head down. He's just got the personality of a troll's backside. Come on, keep up.'

They broke past the lunchtime rush and descended into the gloomy darkness of the dungeons. Here, Ginny slowed, and the group edged silently along the rough stone walls, peering round corners before continuing. Before long, they spotted three figures, and they crouched in a dark alcove to watch. Seamus quietly cast a disillusionment charm over them.

Crabbe and Goyle stood like proud soldiers by the entrance to the corridor where the makeshift cells were, Malfoy lolling unenthusiastically nearby. He had conjured a chair and was rocking back on it, playing with a Zonkos Biting Yo-Yo.

'I've got better things to be doing than this,' he was saying. 'We've got our final exams next term.'

'Where we're headed we won't need no exams,' said Crabbe smugly.

'Yeah,' agreed Goyle with a stupid grin. 'They want real skills nowadays.' There was a long pause. 'It is lunchtime though.'

'Let's go to lunch then,' said Malfoy, bored. The yo-yo snapped at his fingers.

'No,' said Crabbe, and Ginny turned to Colin in astonishment. She'd never heard Crabbe or Goyle do anything but loyally obey Malfoy. 'Alecto said we was to stand here until… until…'

'Half one,' Malfoy finished for him, as though repeating a fact from history of magic. 'It's quarter to now, we may as well go, she won't know.'

'I am very hungry,' said Goyle hopefully.

Feeling daring, Ginny drew her wand, pointing it at Goyle. She hadn't tried this spell before, but maybe…

' _Odoratio_ ,' she whispered, thinking very hard about roast chicken.

A few moments, and then…

Goyle's stomach rumbled loudly. 'Oh come on, I'm starving! Draco's right.'

'Two against one, Crabbe,' said Malfoy.

'We're staying here,' said Crabbe stubbornly. 'You can go if you want, but I'm-' Now another rumble echoed through the corridor, but this time it was Crabbe who clutched his stomach.

'You can smell it too!' exclaimed Goyle. 'Come on, Draco's right, it's only half an hour early-'

'Three quarters of an hour,' corrected Malfoy dully.

'Even less time!' said Goyle happily. Malfoy closed his eyes and shook his head slightly, but Goyle didn't notice.

'Fine,' said Crabbe. 'But if she asks, you two made me…'

Ginny held her breath as the Slytherins walked past their hiding spot. Seamus's charm was not particularly good, but Malfoy's eyes were fixed on his yo-yo, and Crabbe and Goyle's eyes were slightly glazed over as they dreamt about lunch. They waited until they were sure they were well out of earshot, then burst forward, racing down the corridor and rattling the iron handles of each door.

'Ernie? Ernie?'

'Here!' croaked a voice.

The door was stuck fast, but Neville pulled out his wand and cast alohamora, and the door swung open with a painful creak.

Ernie sat, looking exhausted and sporting a shiny black eye, but smiling up at them. 'You came!' he said. 'I left my coin in my robes pocket, it's in the library, I'm sorry-'

Seamus and Colin helped him up. He stood tenderly on one foot, so although he could walk Seamus pulled his arm over his shoulders and supported him as he left the cell.

'Let's get him to the hospital wing,' said Neville. 'Quickly, while everyone's at lunch.'

'They have my wand-' said Ernie helplessly.

'Don't worry, I know where it is,' said Ginny, who had seen where the Carrows had placed hers. She fetched it from the rusted cauldron that sat in a shadowy corner of the corridor and handed it back to Ernie, who smiled at it like it was a long forgotten friend.

'I'm sorry,' he said thickly. 'They caught me with an old copy of the Quibbler, I was reading Harry's interview. They went mad-'

'It's all right,' Ginny assured him. 'Come on, we'll get you to Madam Pomfrey.'

'They said we were in for a big shock about him… That we needed to learn some home truths…'

'Just ignore them, come on, up the steps…'

He groaned. 'They said there'd be changes here soon…'

'We'll just need to make plans then,' said Neville. 'Come on, Madam Pomfrey will fix that in a jiffy…'

She did indeed fix it quickly, and Ernie assured them that the Carrows had not tortured him. 'They wanted to,' he said, confidence returning to his voice. 'But I think they knew it wouldn't break me.'

Ginny thought it was more likely that they were worried about getting into trouble with McGonagall, or even Snape, but decided to let Ernie have this moment. 'Did they say what any of these big changes would be?' she asked.

'No,' he replied. 'They just seemed keen on letting me know they'd have lots to say about Harry soon. I wonder if anything's happened?'

'They would have just come out and said it if anything had,' said Seamus.

Ernie shrugged. 'Maybe, but maybe they're hoping for a big- Oh!'

The hospital wing door had burst open, and Hannah Abbott ran in, her face terrified, Lavender following calmly behind her. 'Ernie! Oh, Ernie!' She flung her arms around him so hard that he was pushed back into his pillows. Neville blushed deeply and took a half-step back from the bed, looking up at the ceiling.

'I'm all right, Hannah,' Ernie said. 'No need to-'

'I've been so worried,' said Hannah. 'I couldn't face the thought of you vanishing, not after Justin-'

'Justin hasn't vanished,' he reminded her firmly. 'He's gone into hiding, he's fine. Come on, now, don't be silly.'

'Yes, yes, sorry,' Hannah sniffed, rubbing her cheeks. 'What happened?'

Ernie recounted the story once again, somewhat more heroically than the others had heard it, and Hannah listened with wide eyes.

'You're awfully brave,' she said.

'Yeah, he was, top man. And Neville here was the one who broke the enchantments on the door,' said Seamus, clapping a crimson Neville on the back.

'Breaking the enchantments? He only did-' Ginny stepped on Colin's foot to shut him up.

'Neville was definitely the leader of the rescue mission,' said Ginny. 'Both of you boys are terribly brave.'

Ernie beamed at them. 'Blimey, Neville, thanks a lot, old chap!'

'It's no problem,' mumbled Neville, throwing a dark look at Ginny.

'Well I'm glad you're all friends,' said Madam Pomfrey crossly, 'But how are you hoping to explain to the Carrows how Mr Macmillan got out?'

There was a painful realisation, and they sat in silence for a few moments before Colin piped up. 'The guards left. It's their fault! For all they know, Ernie got out on his own.'

'They're still going to put me straight back in there,' said Ernie, looking a little alarmed.

'Well, we'll keep an eye on you,' said Ginny. 'Just like you all did with me. They don't seem keen on dragging students away in front of witnesses-'

'They dragged you off in front of loads of people!' exclaimed Lavender.

'Yeah, and loads of teachers got involved,' replied Ginny. 'I think it annoys Snape, he's probably worried about students running off and going into hiding during the Easter holidays or something, he wants us here where he can keep an eye on us.'

Madam Pomfrey nodded. 'Smart girl,' she said sharply. 'That's more or less what I've been hearing from Professor McGonagall. Don't wander off on your own, Macmillan, you should be fine.'

Ernie looked up at them all. 'Thank you,' he said honestly. 'Thanks for coming and finding me. You really didn't have to.'

'Of course we did,' said Neville. 'It's our duty. We're Gryffindors.'


	22. Chapter 22

'Are you missing him?' Polly asked, lining her lipstick carefully.

'Who?' yawned Ginny. She was still wrapped in her blankets, sitting sleepily on the edge of her bed. It was far too cold to get up, and the thought of Muggle Studies did not encourage her to get ready.

'You know who I mean! On a day like today…'

'Oh,' Ginny blinked. 'It's Valentine's day, isn't it? I suppose you've got loads of letters, have you?'

Polly laughed, a tinkling, high pitched noise that Ginny supposed men found attractive. 'Just off Cormac,' she said.

'McLaggen?' Ginny said, startled. Polly nodded, and gave a simpering smile to the letter that lay on her bed. In her tiredness, Ginny hadn't spotted it before, but now saw that it emitted light pink heart-shaped bubbles that floated gently from the page and burst in delicate explosions.

'He's got a really good job in the Ministry,' Polly said happily. 'I never expected… I thought he was all hung up on Hermione Granger last year but…'

'When did this happen?' asked Demelza, who looked just as surprised as Ginny.

'Just before term started,' said Polly, who was now adding the finishing touches to her lips with _Madam Malkin's Magical Matte Effect_. 'Said he'd always admired me, and asked if I'd mind writing to him… He's only just made it official though.' Her eyes were shining, and she looked at them all with a blissful expression. 'I'm so happy, I've fancied him for ages, and I thought I stood no chance now that he's left school… Oh, but sorry, Ginny, I was asking you about Harry!'

Ginny felt herself blush, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable even with the blankets wrapped around her like a cocoon.

'Er… Don't worry. Tell me more about McLaggen. What's the letter say?'

Polly waved her hand impatiently. 'Not a chance, I'm not going to stand here and brag while you must be missing him so much. Zaha was saying yesterday that you and Colin were looking through some photos of him.'

'Was she?' asked Ginny coldly, throwing a dark look at Zaha. Zaha blushed and began rifling through her trunk, looking for socks. 'Well, we were just trying to decide what the next poster should be, now that they've managed to get the last of them down.'

'Any good ones?' asked Demelza.

'Plenty, but we can't decide on the right tone. We don't want to upset anyone, but we don't want to make Harry out to be some sort of Lockhart character.' She looked at the alarm clock on her bedside table, scowled, and swore loudly. 'I'm going to be late.'

'You better not be,' said Demelza warningly. 'She's been in a right foul temper lately. Ritchie Coote said she's been stomping round asking random students to empty their pockets, looking for photos of Harry, and whether they know anything about Dumbledore's Army.'

Ginny snorted. 'Surely Snape knows who's in it? Well, me and Neville at least. Why's she going round interrogating anyone who accidentally gets too close?'

'Maybe he's forgotten you were in it?' suggested Zaha weakly.

Ginny made a doubtful noise as she wriggled ungracefully into her robes, before stumbling into the bathroom to brush her teeth. 'I doubt that slimy git forgets anything,' she called back to them. 'He's just biding his time. You guys go ahead, I won't be long.'

She skidded into Muggle Studies dead on nine, panting heavily as she rushed into her seat next to Colin. 'Where've you been? I thought you were going to be late!'

'Sorry,' she gasped. 'She's not here, is she?' The room was humming with quiet, relaxed conversation, and the heavy mahogany desk at the front did not feature the usual ugly Carrow behind it.

Before Colin could answer, Carrow stalked in, looking worryingly gleeful. 'Happy Valentine's day, my little poppets,' she said, grinning widely. Ginny shrank back instinctively. 'We've got a lovely treat for you all this evening… But first, we'll be continuing our discussions on the cunning of Muggles by focusing on the theft of magic…'

'You can't steal magic,' Ginny blurted out. 'You've either got it or you don't.'

Carrow simply laughed at her. 'Of course you'd think that, you stupid little blood traitor. Now keep yeh trap shut.'  
She tapped her wand on the projector, and a grainy black and white slide appeared, showing a heap slumped on the ground, surrounded by thick heather quivering in the wind. In the background, dramatic moors added a tragic canvas to the grisly scene.

'This is Acantha Fawley, the daughter of a highly respected Wizengamot warlock and the last survivor of the prestigious pureblood family. She was found like this, beaten, dead, mutilated… Because of Muggles. Her wand was taken from her.'

Carrow tapped the projector again, and with a groaning whir, the next slide appeared, showing a demurely smiling young woman, with elegant waves of dark hair brushing her shoulders. She blinked slowly down at the class.  
'Look at her,' said Carrow with relish. 'A beautiful young witch with the purest blood yeh could ask for. Destroyed by filthy Muggles.'

The next slide showed a close up of her face. Where it had been smooth and as perfect as porcelain in the previous slide, here it was bruised, bloody, swollen and scratched, barely recognisable. Many in the class whimpered or squealed, trying to look away from the gratuitous image.

'Seein' as so many of yeh apparently enjoy defiling the school with ridiculous images of violent criminals, I thought you should all see the realities of what can happen when we forget how dangerous some of these ideas are.' Carrow looked eagerly around the class, enthralled by their distress.

'How do you know it was Muggles?' asked Demelza loudly. She looked furious. 'It could have been anyone. She could have defended herself against Muggles.'

Carrow flicked her wand at Demelza, who ducked as a heavy set of books zoomed directly at her head and clattered against the walls.

'Think yeh know better, do yeh?' shrieked Carrow. 'Who else would nick her wand then, eh? Witches and wizards who, out of their kind, naive hearts, trusted Muggles began turning up like this, dead. Horribly murdered. All the while, so-called Muggleborns were increasing in number.'

Colin was shaking next to her. He always got nervous in Muggle Studies. Ginny gripped his hand under the table. The next slide clicked into view, a huge carriage being pulled down a familiar street, which, once she looked past the different shops and looked closely at the architecture, Ginny recognised as Diagon Alley. Huge crowds lined the streets; in the poor quality of the photo their black robes merged into one, so their ghostly pale faces stared out at the carriage, as though floating.

'Hundreds of witches and wizards came to her funeral,' said Carrow. 'Because they recognised what a devastating loss it was to our community, to have the name of Fawley, gone forever. Snuffed out by jealous, thieving, dirty Muggles…' The next slide, once again, showed the corpse of the young woman, lying in her casket.

Polly was stifling sobs behind Ginny, Colin was still trembling in fear, many students looked as though they would throw up. Ginny doubted any of them had ever seen dead bodies before, in real life or in pictures, and the shock had unbalanced them. She remembered the file the Death Eaters had taunted them with at the wedding and realised that Colin was right - they knew exactly the power that images held over others.

'The early 1930s was the start of a big change for our society,' said Carrow grandly. She could barely control her grin. 'Miss Fawley was not the first or last to die at the hands of Muggles. But she's the perfect example of just what they'll do to get their hands on our wands, how they'll destroy us if they can-'

'You still haven't said how you know it was Muggles!' said Demelza angrily.

Carrow pointed her wand and with a loud bang Demelza was blasted backwards, hitting the wall with a painful thud.  
Instinctively, Ginny rose from her seat and ran towards her, helping her into a sitting position. Blood was pouring from her nose.

'Get back in yeh seat, Weasley!' yelled Carrow. 'You of all people need to be paying attention or it could be your body we're looking at before long, yeh disgusting blood traitor!'

'I'm fine,' whispered Demelza. 'Get back, honestly, I'm fine…'

Ginny reluctantly returned. The Slytherins in the corner were sniggering at her, she suspected that the warm prickling in her eyes meant that she looked close to tears. Harper mimicked a panicked expression at her, before collapsing into silent giggles. She threw them the dirtiest look she could muster, then sat, scowling back up at Carrow defiantly.  
Carrow grinned wickedly, and continued smugly. 'When the Muggle gets its hands on our wand, it comes to understand our secrets, but poorly. If too old to attend Hogwarts, it hands the wand down to its offspring, infiltrating our society.'

'Don't listen to her,' whispered Ginny. Colin seemed on the verge of standing up. 'Stay calm.'

'These so-called Muggleborns contribute nothing to our society. They don't pay nothin' into the system, but have been freely allowed to attend our school, use our hospital, enter our Ministry…'

Ginny closed her eyes, tuning out Carrow's ridiculous ranting, and thought fiercely of Hermione, how passionate she was, how she had thrown herself into the magical world she had thought was welcoming. She wondered where she was now, whether her brother had found her again. Perhaps they were somewhere warm now; the Dementors that now infested the country kept a permanent chill in the air.

Her next class was Charms, but she could barely concentrate on Flitwick explaining the complexities of non-verbal spells. Instead, her head was filled with the same questions and struggles that had plagued her at home, desperately theorising where Harry, Hermione and Ron could be, what they were searching for, whether they had ever needed the sword at all…

With what was probably less subtlety than she believed, she took out her coin and held it on her lap, hoping it was hidden by her desk.

 _Luna? Are you still OK? Ginny x_

 _Yes, thank you, just a bit cold._

 _Are you still in a dungeon? Do you know where?_

 _I don't know, I'm sorry._

Ginny sighed. That creeping loneliness was returning, and she was missing her friends more than ever. The coin glowed warm in her hands again.

 _Sorry to interrupt, but I have news for the order. Dean_

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and a sense of despair and anticipation surrounded her. It couldn't be good…

 _Ted and Dirk have been killed. I managed to get away_

 _But don't know how to let their families know. I'm sorry. Dean_

It hit her like a wave, and as hard as she blinked, she couldn't stop the tears welling up. Her fingers trembled.

'Are you all right, Miss Weasley?' asked Flitwick. She looked up, everyone in the class was staring at her. Colin was giving her a knowing look, and she was sure he had seen his coin too, but everyone else looked bewildered.

'Er… I'm just… I'll be fi-'

'Why don't you take a moment?' he said kindly.

She nodded quickly, and left the room in a hurry. In the corridor, she took deep, shuddering breaths, walking so fast she was almost at a jog, until she had found a quiet, dark area where she leant against the wall, gulping down her sobs.

 _I'll let them know, thank you. Ginny x_

 _Thank you. They're in the New Forest. Dean x_

It seemed so silly to react like this; she had never met Ted Tonks, and knew Dirk Cresswell only in passing. But she couldn't force the memory of Andromeda's tearful relief from her mind; to tell her that her husband was gone so soon after she had been told he was alive and well seemed cruel. That the responsibility to tell the Order had now been passed to her was frightening, and for all she had wanted to help and be a part of this war, she was now unsure that she was strong enough. She wanted to tell McGonagall, leave it to her, but surely she was teaching now, and probably being watched closely…

She gathered herself together, breathing deeply, though her chest felt tight as if she were suffocating. She began to walk to the Astronomy tower, trying to look as calm as possible, but the tell-tale signs of distress showed in her trembling hands and thudding heart. Up and up the spiralling stairs, her feet were nimble on the cold steps and her brain buzzed as she rushed to think through how she would do this, and whether it would work. Nobody had ever showed her…

The top of the tower was fierce with wind. Her hair whipped around her face and she found herself moving heavily and with purpose, worried she'd be sent flying like a sheet of parchment into the cloudy grey sky. She withdrew her wand and tried to think of a happy memory, but even up here she could see the disturbing dark figures floating at the edges of the ground, and the only emotion she could summon was unhappiness.

That first kiss with Harry, in the common room, the way he had looked at her…

' _Expecto patronum!_ ' A wisp of silver shot from her wand, but failed to make a shape. A memory of Harry, no matter how happy, was compromised by the simple fact that he was not here, that his absence was as painful as a fresh cut.

She closed her eyes, thinking. The wind howled so loudly against her ears that it almost seemed muffled, battering her face and living cold, stinging skin. She remembered the wedding, before it had been crashed by the Death Eaters, how her heart had swelled with pride and happiness, and everyone had been laughing and dancing, Tonks lifting a glass of orange juice and smiling slyly, which Ginny now realised to be a secret nod to her pregnancy, her family all gathered there under the same sweeping marquee, Luna's ridiculous dancing…

' _Expecto patronum!_ '

This time, an elegant, muscular horse burst from the tip of her wand, pulling its head into its chest as it reared, cantering around her in a circle. She wasn't sure how to proceed, and was worried that it would canter down towards the Dementors, but it seemed to know that it was here for a different reason, and looked at her expectantly. Her father had not needed to say anything when he had sent a Patronus message after the wedding, but the words tumbled from her mouth, and the horse listened attentively, ears pricked up.

'Dean contacted me to report the deaths of Ted Tonks and Dirk Cresswell,' she shouted over the wind. 'Their bodies are in the New Forest. I'm sorry.'

The horse still looked at her patiently, and she briefly wondered if she should repeat the message because of the noisy wind, but instead concentrated hard on her father. The horse gave a start as though frightened, and then galloped into the sky, vanishing into the thick grey clouds.

***

After a hurried and late lunch, Ginny went to the library for her free period, partly to complete her horrible Potions essay, but mostly because she knew that Neville would be there too. It was rather busy; Madam Pince was frantically stalking up and down the aisle scolding various clusters of students for a wide variety of misdemeanours, huffily returning books to their rightful places and glaring at children she didn't like the look of. Her eyes narrowed as Ginny passed. Ginny doubted she would ever trust her again after she had brought chocolate into the library.

The rather bizarre sight of Crabbe and Goyle sitting in the library caught her attention. Though they did not sport any bruises or cuts, their slightly sulky expressions suggested that their prestigious place as the Carrows favourite students had been lost. Malfoy was nowhere to be seen, but Pansy Parkinson was rather hopelessly flirting with Harper, and Theodore Nott was leaning back on his chair with an arrogant grin, apparently beyond the reach of Madam Pince's temper.

She spotted Neville passing at the end of an aisle, his arms full of books, and hurried over, throwing a brief smile at a nearby table where Zaha and Polly sat with Romilda Vane and her gang.

'Neville,' she whispered, throwing a cautious glance at Madam Pince, who was prowling a few aisles away.

He looked up from the shelf he was examining, but remained crouched on the floor surrounded by his pile of books. 'Ginny! Where have you been? Apparently you left in charms and we could see on the coins you and Dean talking about-'

'I had to let the Order know,' she said, trying to make it look like she was examining _Wand Trees and Their Properties, North Asia_.

'How did you do that?'

'I sent a Patronus- Look, it doesn't matter, it's all fine. I wanted to ask you about tonight, we were supposed to have a D.A meeting but during Muggle Studies Carrow seemed to suggest that something would be happening this evening for Valentine's Day, I don't know if it's with dinner or after, but I bet it's compulsory.'

Neville rose slowly, stumbling a little with his armful of books. 'Sorry, could you just-' he thrust _Carnivorous Trees of Ecuador_ at her, shoving others at random back onto the shelf.

'Madam Pince will kill you,' Ginny hissed, but he ignored her.

'If there's something compulsory on tonight, everyone's smart enough to go to that instead of the meeting, but if there's time after we should still send out a message. We might be able to catch the end of Potterwatch.'

'Won't they be looking out for people not going back to their dorms though?' asked Ginny. 'Perhaps everyone could just listen in their common rooms-'

'It's only the Gryffindors that are all practically in the D.A,' Neville reminded her. 'Only about half the Hufflepuffs are, and even fewer Ravenclaw. Maybe we need a recruitment drive.'

'While we've got a traitor in our midst?' demanded Ginny. Her voice had raised slightly, he waved her down and threw an apologetic look at the table with Zaha, Polly and Romilda.

'I was joking, kind of. We do need more members though.'

'Why?'

'I was thinking about what Smith said, and although he was a complete prat about it, he's sort of right that we've just made it our own little club. We need to unite the school a bit more.'

She stared at him dubiously. Bringing even more members into their forbidden group seemed dangerous when they had just kicked one out and were still unsure of who to trust. Yet Neville's face looked so authoritative and serious that she was struggling to find the energy to argue. He took back his book and now clutched a more manageable pile of three.

'I'm going to check these out, and then I'm really sorry but I have to study. Keep your coin on you though, I'll stay in touch if you hear anything else about what's happening tonight.'

Ginny sighed heavily, leaning against the bookshelves as she watched him walk away. She supposed she should find a seat and start on her essay, but as soon as the thought entered her head, and unpleasant, smug voice whispered at her from behind some books.

'Lonely on Valentine's day, Weasley?'

She jumped and spun round. Harper's eyes were visible in the slim gap between the tops of some shorter books and the shelf above, and though she couldn't see the rest of his face it was easy to picture his arrogant sneer.

'Were you eavesdropping?' she demanded.

'You didn't answer my question, Weasley. Pretty pureblood like you, such a shame you're alone…'

She hoped he could see the look of disgust on her face. 'Get lost, Harper, you make my skin crawl.'

'What's good enough for Potter is good enough for me,' he said.

'Well at least you admit he's someone to look up to,' she retorted coldly. She stomped off loudly, ignoring Madam Pince's scowl. Harper had always been an idiot, that she knew, but he had never been so creepy until now. She wondered if the Carrow's constant lectures about the purity and importance of pureblood marriages had inspired him. With a shudder, she decided to return to the common room to complete her work - anywhere as long as it was away from him.

***

At dinner that night, the doors were closed. Slytherin prefects and the Headboy, which Ginny noticed was no longer Malfoy, opened them to allow students in, but kept a strong guard to prevent people leaving. The effect of this was a rather crowded dinner, rather like a feast, so Ginny found herself cramped between Dennis Creevy, who jabbered away all night about how much he loved the D.A, and Romilda Vane, who interrogated Ginny as to whether she had heard from Harry.

'I told you,' she said wearily for what felt like the hundredth time. 'We're not in contact.'

'But it's _Valentine's_ day!' Romilda insisted. 'And he's a really romantic person.'

'You barely know him,' said Ginny, feeling almost amused. She had not dated Harry over a Valentine's Day, but couldn't imagine him sending a letter like the one Polly had received from McLaggen.

'I bet he's really poetic,' said Romilda dreamily. 'People who have been through scary things are always a bit wiser. Is he a good kisser?'

'I don't like him anymore, remember?' said Ginny pointedly.

'Right, right, I know, but you can still remember if he's a good kisser.'

Neville, who sat opposite them, tried to hide his laughs but simply ended up choking on his mashed potato. Seamus gave him a hearty thump on the back.

The shrill clinking of a knife on glass brought their attention to the high table, where Alecto Carrow had rose, smiling down at them nastily. Beside her, Snape looked haughty and bored, leaning so far away from her that Ginny was surprised he didn't fall out of his chair.

'Happy Valentine's day, my lovelies,' she said. When Umbridge had acted this way, it had always sounded sickly sweet and patronising. When Carrow used terms of endearment, it felt like a cat toying with a mouse.

'I hope you've all had enough food and are ready for a lovely evening. I know there have been some distressing photos around the school lately, as well as some untruthful radio programmes, and we wanted to use tonight as an opportunity to celebrate the truth, in a romantic way.'

Ginny caught Neville's eye, and exchanged worried glances.

'So, everyone pair up, girls and boys please, and follow me.'

The prefects, and other Slytherins, started shouting and pushing people into pairs, forcing them to line up crocodile fashion through the middle of the Great Hall.

'Hold hands!' Nott was shouting. 'Hold hands!' He lurched forward and seized Lavender's hand, pushing it into Seamus's. Ginny grasped Neville's after spotting Harper approach her with a greedy expression.

'What on earth is going on?' she asked. She didn't need to whisper; over the noise and confusion their conversation was quite private.

'No idea,' Neville said. 'But look at Snape.'

Snape was still lounging in his Headmaster's chair, looking resentful and embarrassed. Next to him, McGonagall's mouth was a thin line and she looked down at her lap furiously. Even from so far away, Ginny could see her shaking.  
The Slytherin's began to herd them out of the Great Hall, shouting nonsensical and unnecessary commands at them in what seemed a deliberate attempt to cause panic and confusion. They followed the Carrows out of the Great Hall and through the huge doors of the castle, into the cold night air and onto the damp lawn.

'Line up along here,' commanded Zabini. 'Come on, now, quickly…'

'Nothing more romantic than sitting by the fire,' sang Alecto Carrow, giggling manically.

They were made to stand in a large semicircle, around a huge bonfire pile that seemed comprised of odd shapes in the darkness. When the Carrows and Slytherins shone their wands on it, Ginny could see that it was made not only of wood, but personal possessions too, many of which looked oddly familiar. Clothes, books, bedding, Zonkos products and even a Hogwarts trunk lying emptied…

'Oh,' she breathed. 'Oh no… Neville…'

The light from a Slytherin wand shone onto the trunk, where the words _Harry J. Potter_ were printed on the side. Now she could identify the objects properly; could recognise his broom repair kit, his cauldron, odd photos with cracked glass frames that showed him, Ron and Hermione, even an emerald green jumper that she knew had been knitted by her mother…

'All his stuff,' Neville said weakly. 'All his stuff…'

'We had a friend take a trip down to Surrey,' announced Amycus Carrow loudly. 'Thought it was important, given recent events, that we emphasise to yeh all that hero worshipping that violent criminal Potter is not acceptable. He is on the wrong side of history.'

Ginny's eyes roved over the pile off Harry's things desperately. Did he have his most prized possessions with him? She had never looked in it, but she had seen him with a photo album that she knew held his most precious pictures, but she knew even if she saw it, she would not be able to save it…

'Can you see his photo album?' she whispered to Neville. Carrow was still loudly explaining the various evils of Harry Potter.

'No, I've been looking, I don't think it's here but it's hard to tell-'

Several wands shot angry orange flames at the bonfire pile, and it caught quickly. It hurt like a punch to the stomach, but Ginny stared at it dully, willing her expression not to change as the flames danced over the objects, watching them curl and blacken.

'There's nothing important there,' she said quietly, for herself as much as for Neville. 'He took stuff with him. Hermione packed for days. He would have taken the important stuff. He would have…'

They could feel the heat from the fire prickle their faces. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky. A box with _Weasley Wizard Wheezes_ stamped on the side gave a small explosion, and the Slytherins whooped.

'He is nothing,' Alecto Carrow was shrieking. 'He will burn like this. You are wasting your time. He's not here! He left you all!'

'Is his broom there?' Neville asked, his voice strained.

'No,' said Ginny. 'He lost that over the summer?'

'Where's his owl?' asked Parvati, panicked. The tear tracks on her face shone in the harsh glow of the fire. 'What have they done with his owl?'

'She died,' said Ginny shortly. The Slytherins had started chanting like madmen, jumping around the fire like barbarians.

' _Burn Potter, burn Potter, burn Potter…_ '

'This is a good thing,' she said. Her voice sounded calm and deadly.

'What?' asked Neville. 'This is awful…'

'It worked,' she said. 'The photos. It rattled them. We've frightened them.'

She watched the flames grow higher and higher, reaching into the blackness of the sky, and felt a dangerous calm.

' _Burn Potter, burn Potter, burn Potter…_ '


	23. Chapter 23

_ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS_

 _Use of the Patronus Charm is now BANNED within school grounds._

 _Association with the unauthorised group 'Dumbledore's Army' is BANNED._

 _Materials promoting, defending or glamourising undesirable individuals are BANNED._

 _NO EXCEPTIONS._

 _Students in breach of these regulations will face serious consequences._

 _By order of Professor Snape._

The notices had arrived by the morning after the bonfire, horrifying and infuriating the students in equal measure. It was partly a good thing, Neville told her, as they kicked through the smouldering ashes. It meant that they believed the Patronus charm to be the method of communication, and were still unaware about the coins.

'That's not the point,' she replied. 'I was completely alone when I sent that Patronus. Someone must have heard me telling you in the library. It's not about how we communicate, it's that I contacted the Order.'

She noticed the spine of a book and picked it up hopefully, but the pages were charred black. She sighed and dropped it angrily, before attempting to shift a particularly heavy log in the hope that there may be some saved objects beneath it.

'You don't know that,' Neville said quietly. 'Someone could have followed you, or seen you from a window-'

'Will you stop defending them?' said Ginny harshly, struggling to stop herself from shouting. 'I was at the top of the highest tower in the castle, Neville, I chose it quite deliberately. There were loads of people in that sodding library and it was silent, everyone could probably hear us!' She kicked at a piece of burnt wood, which crumbled underfoot. 'And why are we even doing this? There's nothing here, there's nothing left-'

Her voice broke and she turned away, looking out towards the misty lake. 'And there's no way we just missed Potterwatch last night,' she continued hollowly. 'It wasn't on. I don't know why, but it wasn't on.'

'I'm sure everyone's fine,' said Neville.

'No, you don't. Don't say that because you don't know that everyone's fine.'

'I'm trying, Ginny,' said Neville impatiently. 'What do you want me to say then?'

Ginny turned back to face him, her jaw tight with anger. 'I want you to admit that there's a problem-'

'I'm aware there's a problem, we're in the middle of a bloody war, there's plenty of problems. But you can't keep bouncing back and forth between giving inspiring speeches about how we've frightened the Carrows, then go accusing random people of betraying you, it puts everyone on edge and we've got enough of that.'

Ginny knew what he was getting at. When they had given up trying to tune the wireless to Potterwatch last night, she had spotted Colin taking photos of them, and had perhaps been a little paranoid. 'Are you saying I'm unhinged?' she demanded.

'No, I'm saying you nearly broke Colin's camera and screaming at him like that undermined your whole resilience speech…'

'Well excuse me for actually trying to find out who's passing information,' she shot back. 'And I wasn't screaming. I just think you should have my back-'

'I _do_ have your back,' Neville insisted. 'But Colin is my friend too, and you shouldn't have accused him of putting the D.A at risk just for taking photos. You can't seriously think it's him tipping off the Carrows?'

'No, I think it's his girlfriend,' spat Ginny.

Neville blinked. It was the first time Ginny had out right accused someone. 'Zaha?'

'Yes, Zaha.' She looked down at the ashy ground, scuffing it with her boot, feeling an odd sense of shame mixing with her anger. 'She's always writing stuff down but never talks, she's good at sneaking around unnoticed, and she told Polly that she saw me and Colin looking through pictures of Harry.'

'So?' Neville looked genuinely puzzled, and Ginny was sure her ears were going red.

'So she's a gossip at the very least!'

'And Polly's not?' Neville scoffed. 'Or Lavender? Or Demelza? Or even Colin, for that matter.'

'Fine,' she said, scowling. 'Believe what you want, trust who you want. But we can't keep going on as if it's all normal and then being shocked when the Carrows find out even more stuff about us. Whether we like it or not, one of our friends is selling us out, and we've got to find out who.'

'There's lots of stuff they haven't found out about us!' He was gesturing angrily with one hand, the other clapped to his forehead. 'None of our meetings have been disrupted, none of our members have been named. They still haven't figured out how we're communicating. They haven't realised Colin and Dennis are on false papers. Everyone knows you and Harry didn't really break up, not properly, and yet the Carrows haven't dragged you off to You-Know-Who. You've got it into your head that it's someone in the D.A., but it could be anyone!'

Ginny had no response, so sullenly folded her arms and looked away. There was a long pause. A Dementor drifted silently in the distance. 'There's still nothing here,' she said at last. 'It's all burnt. You should get down to Hogsmeade to meet with everyone.'

'You know we didn't organise this meeting to leave you out, don't you?' said Neville quickly. 'It just seemed like a good opportunity, and the Hogs Head might be somewhere we can get more information on what's going on-'

'I know, I know,' muttered Ginny. 'I know it's not a… a coup or anything. Just… make sure you update me, don't forget anything.'

'I won't,' he promised. He hesitated. 'And I'll keep an eye on Zaha for you.'

'You will?'

'Yeah…' He looked very ashamed of himself, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. 'But she's not the only one I'll be watching, all right? I'm not singling her out for you.'

'Thank you,' said Ginny quietly.

He nodded awkwardly. 'What are you going to do while everyone's in Hogsmeade?'

'Work, I suppose. Have fun…'

She watched him walk away and join the last trickle of students heading towards the village, still feeling rather tense and resentful. She continued to kick through the dusty remains of the bonfire. Most of the wood was still warm to the touch. There was something devastatingly sad about it, worse than watching it happen even, because it felt like his life - all the little inconsequential things that hadn't been sentimental enough to take with him, but still built up to be a representation of his personality, now reduced to dust. Something _must_ have survived…

But nothing of real value had. She found a bottle cap with a bright logo she didn't recognise, and supposed it was a Muggle brand. Truly her father's daughter, she stared at it intently for a few minutes, wondering what sort of drink it was for, what the flavour might be, before pocketing it.

Finally giving up, she began to return to the castle, turning the bottle cap in her pocket over and over in her fingers, pondering on what Neville had said. She couldn't deny that she had been paranoid, but didn't she have reason to be? It seemed unlikely that it was anyone outside the D.A, but he had a point that the information that had been passed was rather limited. But what could they do? She had no idea how to figure out who the traitor was. She felt very out of her depth.

Without really thinking about where she was going, she found herself walking towards Professor McGonagall's office.  
Looking uneasily over her shoulders for any potential followers, Ginny rapped on the wooden door. She heard an exasperated sigh from the other side, and the scraping of a chair.

'Peakes, if that's you again, I already told you, I do not accept a Dragon Pox scare as reason for missing home- Oh! Miss Weasley!'

'Morning, Professor,' said Ginny brightly. 'Er… May I come in?'

'Of course,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Tea?'

'No, thanks.'

'Don't be silly, girl.' Ginny smiled, and McGonagall waved her wand at a nearby rickety table, where a delicate looking tea set suddenly began to shudder and steam.

'I assume it's quite all right for me to ask you for homework advice relating to other subjects?' asked Ginny, trying to give a meaningful look.

Professor McGonagall cottoned on quickly, and cast a muffling charm. 'Go ahead,' she said. 'We're quite safe.'

'Do you know if the Order got my message yesterday? Did it work? If not, can you get it to them?'

McGonagall nodded gravely. The tea set flew over, landing with a bump on the desk between them somehow without spilling a drop of tea.

'The message was received… Terrible news, but thank you for letting everyone know. I heard about it directly from your father, he's very proud of you.'

'I wasn't sure if…'

'You're concerned about the lack of Potterwatch last night? You were hoping to hear confirmation there?'

Ginny nodded, taking a sip of the milky tea. 'It hasn't been on in a couple of weeks now, and… Especially yesterday… I could have really done with an episode.' The conversation was making those feelings return, and she wondered what Andromeda and Tonks were doing right now…

'Please don't be alarmed. I'm not particularly involved in the radio broadcasts but I understand that there has been some disruption lately. Kingsley sent me a message saying that the Jordan's home had been thoroughly searched by Death Eaters-'

Ginny nearly choked on her tea. 'Are they all right? What happened?'

To her surprise, McGonagall gave a small smile. 'Mrs Vanessa Jordan is quite the force to be reckoned with. She was able to distract the Death Eaters and loudly warn Lee and Stacey of their presence. I believe they were able to vanish the equipment in time. But you must understand that other homes were also searched, not to mention the difficulty of acquiring the equipment again. I daresay they'll be back before long, but some patience is required.'

Feeling very much relieved, Ginny drank more from her tea. She wondered if she should confide her concerns about potential traitors, but something was holding her back. Perhaps they were just not close enough. 'Is Mrs Tonks all right?'

Professor McGonagall hesitated. 'I haven't seen her,' she said finally, avoiding Ginny's gaze. 'I was only able to receive a very brief message from your father. Now, have you managed to pull your Arithmancy grades up?

'What?' asked Ginny, thrown by the sudden change in conversation. 'Oh… Er…'

'I was talking to Professor Vector, and she was quite concerned.' McGonagall was suddenly looking very stern, staring at Ginny expectantly.

'Oh, well, Hermione used to help me out a lot and…'

'I see,' said McGonagall. There was silence.

'I'll work harder on it,' said Ginny awkwardly.

'Make sure that you do. You may be distracted with current events, but you still have a future to prepare for.'

The thing was, Ginny thought as she left ten minutes later, she was not sure that she did.

***

Neville and the other students returned from Hogsmeade pink-cheeked and breathless from the cold. Parvati in particular stormed into the common room complaining about the never ending winter, throwing her mittens across the room. Ginny began to put her homework away as students filtered in, watching Parvati stomping up the stairs out of the corner of her eye.

'What's got into her?' asked Ginny.

'Michael Corner put ice cubes down the back of her shirt in the middle of the meeting,' said Colin, sitting on the sofa next to her armchair. 'I think she was a bit embarrassed. She shrieked quite loudly.'

'Sounds fun,' said Ginny enviously. 'How was the… Wait, no, first… Listen, Colin, I'm really sorry.'

'Don't worry about it,' he said, blushing crimson.

'No, I was bang out of order, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have acted like that-'

'Don't be stupid, I should ask permission before I take photos. I should have learnt that years ago from Harry.'

'You wouldn't get such amazing shots then,' Ginny pointed out. 'I think I was just very worried about Potterwatch not being on, and I lashed out, but it's no excuse for trying to grab your camera, I'm sorry.'

Colin shrugged uncomfortably. 'I get it, don't worry…'

They were both saved from more bumbling apologies and awkwardness by Neville, who sat heavily on the sofa next to Colin, unwrapping his scarf from his neck and giving a brief nod to Ginny. 'All right, Ginny? Have you two made up? We've got loads to tell you.'

Ginny sat a little straighter. Jealousy had been burning in her heart; she'd have given anything to be at that meeting today. 'You do? I've been so bored.'

'Well, we got told off by the bartender for our lack of indiscretion. He said we should have learnt by now not to talk loudly in public about things that could get us into trouble.'

Ginny's heart sank. 'Really? Oh, I knew you shouldn't have gone to the Hog's Head, didn't I say we got overheard there last time? You're not in trouble are you? Is he going to say anything?'

Neville raised a hand to calm her. 'It's actually a good thing. He's a grumpy old git, but know who he is? Dumbledore's brother.'

Her jaw dropped, and she slowly turned to look at Colin, who was smiling happily. 'You're joking? I never even knew he had a brother!'

Neville chuckled. 'You sort of forget he was an actual human being with family, don't you? Yeah, the bartender's called Aberforth Dumbledore, he owns the place. I mean, he was horrible-'

'So rude,' added Colin.

'-But he let us use a private room in the back so we wouldn't be overheard. He said we were wasting our time, but he wasn't going to watch us make such a stupid mistake in the middle of his pub.'

'He was _nothing_ like Dumbledore,' said Colin.

Neville shrugged. 'I dunno, he looked a bit like him. And I think he did like us, really, and wants to help… He's just not an especially cheerful chap.'

'This is brilliant,' said Ginny excitedly. 'I can't believe it! Is he in the Order?'

Neville's face fell. 'I didn't think to ask.'

'It doesn't matter,' said Ginny, grinning so broadly her cheeks hurt. 'He's someone nearby, who we can trust, who's not stuck in this school…' It was as though Dumbledore himself was back, and that was how she imagined him. She could barely remember what the barman at the Hogs Head looked like, so in her head she saw Albus Dumbledore standing behind the bar, smiling serenely, his bright blue eyes twinkling.

'Yeah, well he's a lot of work,' said Neville warningly. 'Difficult bloke.'

'Even so,' said Ginny. 'I can't think of a better outcome!' She looked around the room, expecting to see the same excitement in the other students, but those that she knew had been at the D.A meeting looked sullen and disappointed. Seamus was leaning against a desk, shuffling a pack of dancing cards, staring off into space. Lavender and Polly were talking quietly by the window, with serious expressions and jittering hands. Zaha was scribbling furiously in her notebook, while Romilda skulked at the edge of her gossiping gang, looking rather like she wanted to be elsewhere.

'There's more,' said Neville, watching her expression. 'I opened with the good news.'

Ginny looked back at him cautiously. 'Do I even want to know?'

'No,' he replied bluntly. 'But I'll show you anyway.' He twisted round, looking over the back of the sofa. 'Oi! Dennis!'

Colin's brother came scurrying over from near the portrait hole, where he'd been talking to Demelza, looking thrilled that he'd been summoned. Both he and Colin had always been excitable, both of them prone to being star-struck by people they admired, but Dennis had not yet begun to grow out of it like Colin had.

'You still got that paper?' asked Colin.

'Yes,' said Dennis. He looked at Ginny proudly. 'I saw it in the pub, I was the one who spotted it, and even though we all said we shouldn't read it anymore I thought it would be good to see what the enemy was saying-'

'Hang on,' interrupted Ginny. 'You're not talking about _The Daily Prophet_ are you? I told you, we can't go round believing what that rag publishes, it'll just get us worried about nothing.'

'You'll still want to see this,' said Neville firmly. Dennis reached into his robes, and puled the paper out, flicking through the first few pages before handing it to Ginny.

 _NEW SECURITY MEASURES IN FORCE AT HOGWARTS SCHOOL_

 _Staff at Hogwarts school have been granted new powers to search and limit post coming into and leaving Hogwarts school, writes Montgomery Higglesworth, Daily Prophet education editor. While staff have long been able to search packages and read letters of students they have concerns for, the new regulations proposed by the Ministry limit post to emergency communication only, allowing post to be confiscated when deemed appropriate._

 _'We have noticed a rise in dangerous ideas lately and we are concerned that students may be becoming radicalised against the Ministry,' said Professor Alecto Carrow. 'A temporary measure has been put in place restricting all unnecessary communication in order to focus on student wellbeing without outside influence. While some may find the measures somewhat harsh, rest assured that the safety and happiness of the students is our top priority, and that, with staff discretion, emergency communication will be possible.'_

Ginny looked up, horrified. 'Is this true?' she asked. 'Nothing's been said to us.'

'They probably don't think we need to be informed,' said Neville. 'Or maybe we'll find out officially soon-'

Colin snorted. 'Oh, please. It's deliberate. They wanted to frighten us when none of us hear from our families.'

Ginny sighed. 'I suppose it's not that surprising. We know they've been searching and reading our post, now they're just admitting it. And holding it back,' she added sadly.

'It will be Easter soon,' said Neville reassuringly.

'And Harry will be back to sort everything out before long!' piped up Dennis. They smiled at him reassuringly.

'Course he will,' said Neville. 'Him, Ron and Hermione, they'll be back to kick out the Carrows before the year's up, I reckon.'

'Speaking of Harry,' said Ginny. 'I found this in the ash.' She pulled out the bottle cap and showed it to Colin. 'Coca Cola… Is it a Muggle drink?'

He glanced at it. 'Yeah.' She continued to look at him expectantly, so he shrugged and said, 'I mean, it's just a fizzy drink. It's nothing special, sorry.'

'What's it like?' asked Ginny curiously.

'The drink? Er… It's black.'

'Black?' exclaimed Neville, looking disgusted.

'Yeah, black and sweet tasting.'

'What flavour is it?' asked Ginny. Colin seemed quite uncomfortable under Neville and Ginny's stares, but Dennis was sniggering.

'It's… cola flavoured I guess.'

'What's cola flavour?'

Colin shrugged helplessly. 'I dunno, it just is… Look, when things are safe again, I'll take you out to a Muggle café and we'll get a coke, yeah?'

'Really?' asked Ginny excitedly. 'Promise?'

'Sure,' he said, looking amused. 'We'll have a Muggle day out.'

'We could go to the cinema!' shouted Dennis.

'I've heard about them!' said Ginny happily. 'We learnt about them in Muggle Studies last year, oh, I'd love to go! Muggle stuff is so amazing…' She looked down at her bottle cap, smiling as she imagined them, a big group of friends, exploring a whole other world. 'Do you really promise, Colin?'

'Of course I do,' he said. 'We could do it after the war, when Harry, Ron and Hermione are back. And Seamus and Dean could come too, and Luna, and Lavender and Parvati…'

Ginny grinned, listening to Coin and Dennis excitedly plan a detailed itinerary for some far-off summer day. She felt forgiven for her actions the previous night, and knew that, despite everything, she was lucky to be among friends.

***

'Oh, Hagrid… I don't think that's a very good idea…'

'Why not?' grumbled Hagrid, pulling on a giant pink oven glove. 'I'm still a free man, I can do wha'ever the ruddy hell I like…'

'You'll get yourself arrested!'

'Pah! I'd like t'see them try…' He pulled a slightly burnt looking loaf of bread out of the oven and set it on the table, opposite Ginny. Fang raised his head off Ginny's lap, leaving a large patch of slobber on her leg, and turned to stare at it pleadingly. Hagrid ignored him, rifling through the cupboards in the search of jam.

'I mean it, Hagrid,' said Ginny warningly. 'I'm sure Harry would appreciate the support, but he wouldn't want you putting yourself at risk-'

'Nothin' wrong with me having a party in me own home,' Hagrid insisted stubbornly, over the sound of Fang's whining.

'An' if there's any trouble, I reckon I can get away pretty quickly.'

'Where would you go?' asked Ginny. 'No where's safe at the moment.'

'Well there's tha' cave up the road, isn't there? Not many folks know about that… Was it strawberry you wanted?' He plonked a jar of homemade jam in front of her, and began to slice up the bread.

'But I don't want you to go and live in a cave! I need you here, Hagrid!'

He looked at her sympathetically. 'I'm very touched, Ginny, I really am. But I can' sit here doing nuthin'… Them Carrows hate me anyway, it's only 'cause I've worked here fer so long that Snape's letting me stay… I don' reckon I've got much longer stayin' here… Plus, what with Potterwatch gone, I think people could use a morale boost.'

'At least change the name,' Ginny begged. 'Let them think it's just a normal party…'

'Nope,' said Hagrid briskly. 'It's Support Harry Potter or nothin'.'

Ginny groaned and took a bite of her bread. It was rather tough, but the jam was good. 'Who are you going to invite, then?' she asked thickly.

'Open invitation to anyone who supports him,' Hagrid said proudly. 'I'm going t'stick the posters under all yeh latest photos.'

The latest D.A operation had been to post a photo of Harry laughing arm-in-arm with Hermione, after the seventh-years had apparently sat through an excruciating Defence lesson which tried to portray him as a dark wizard. Seamus had been on the receiving end of a rather nasty hex from Carrow after insisting that Harry had never come across as fame-mad or power-hungry, and had been nothing but a good friend for many years. The swelling had taken several days to come down, but it didn't stop him loudly recounting the story in the common room, insisting that something had to be done.

The photo was filled with warmth. They had searched for photos of him that showed friendship, but it had been difficult to find any that didn't include Ron, or people who were still at school, and they were worried about getting others into trouble. They eventually decided that Hermione couldn't be in much more danger than she already was, so settled on a photo from last year. Ginny recognised it; remembered the very day. Not long after they had started dating, when the four of them had been chatting in the courtyard, one of the few photos Colin had actually asked permission to take. Ron and Ginny, standing on either side of Harry and Hermione, had been cropped out. Underneath, they had written the words _TRUE HEROES_ underneath.

Everyone loved it; it was a side of Harry most in the school didn't see, after being used to seeing him looking very serious or concentrating on the Quidditch pitch. For Ginny, however, it was a constant reminder of how much she missed both Harry and Hermione, and, of course, her brother.

'When are you going to do this?' Ginny asked, with more than a little trepidation. 'They'll shut it down as soon as they hear about it.'

'Last night o' term,' Hagrid said. 'Assuming the photos can last the next few days. Yeh lookin' forward to Easter?'

Ginny nodded, still chewing on her bread. 'Yeah, the Carrows are just getting worse and worse. They hurt Seamus really badly the other day, and apparently some Ravenclaw third year was tortured yesterday. I dunno why though.'

Hagrid shook his head, looking disgusted. 'Dumbledore wouldn't 'ave stood fer this. Ruddy Snape, he oughta be ashamed o'himself.'

'He doesn't care,' said Ginny viciously. 'He barely even comes to meals anymore. The Carrows are running wild. I knew he was evil, but I didn't think he wanted students being tortured left, right and centre. He even stood up for me a bit… I don't think he meant to though.'

'Ar, I always knew he was a horrible, bitter man, but I never had 'im down as so cruel,' said Hagrid sadly. 'Dumbledore trusted 'im and tha' was… tha' was enough…' He burst into noisy tears, and Ginny hurried over to him, embracing his great, tree-trunk like arm.

'Oh, Hagrid, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you!'

'Don' worry, Ginny,' he sniffed, though fat tears were still rolling into his beard. 'I'm jus' finding it tough to cope, Dumbledore mean' a lot to me, you know…'

'I know,' said Ginny kindly. 'He must have really supported you over the years.'

'Well that's just what he was like, weren't it?' said Hagrid hoarsely, pulling out a grubby handkerchief. 'Always happy to help, was Dumbledore.'

'Neville and the others met his brother,' remembered Ginny. 'In the Hogs Head.'

'Eh? Aberforth? Grumpy old codger.'

She laughed. 'That's more or less what they said. But he said he'd help us, he gave them a back room to meet in. I didn't even know he had a brother.'

'Didn't yeh read all that stuff Rita Skeeter wrote about him?'

'No,' said Ginny, a little offended. 'I don't read anything that horrible woman writes, except that one interview she did with Harry. I assumed that book was all rubbish anyway.'

'Well, yeah it was,' said Hagrid, dabbing at his eyes as he calmed down. 'But last time I was in the Hogs Head, Ab said some of it was true. Not a very chatty man though, he didn't really want to talk about it. I didn' read it anyway, I'm not much of a reader.'

'Probably best, she has a way of making people look bad,' said Ginny. 'You know Aberforth then? Can he be trusted?'

'Oh, sure, but yeh probably won't get much outta him, to be honest. Keeps to 'imself mostly, but he always knows what's going on. Bit like Dumbledore, I suppose,' he added thoughtfully. 'Not as brilliant though. Ain't no one as brilliant as Dumbleore was, not in the whole country.'

'I miss him too,' said Ginny. 'We all do. Please, Hagrid, please think very carefully about this party. Think about what Dumbledore would want.'

Hagrid gave an almighty sniff and nodded, his eyes slightly red from crying. 'Yeh right. Yeh so right, Ginny. Dumbledore _would_ have wanted to come.'

'No, that's not what I-'

'I'll make it the best ruddy party I can-'

'No, Hagrid-'

'Dumbledore wouldn't 'ave stood fer all this nonsense, an' he always loved a good party-'

'Hagr-'

'I'll make 'im proud, Ginny,' he continued nobly. 'In Dumbledore's honour and for his memory, I'll make this the biggest Support Harry Potter party in the country.'


	24. Chapter 24

As usual, Alecto Carrow was screaming slurs at passing students as she desperately tried to prise the photo of Harry and Hermione off the wall. Underneath, just over the graffiti slogan, Hagrid's party invitation had been spell-o-taped on, and, thanks to its clashing colours of pink, purple and red, was highly visible despite Carrow's attempts to hide it with her arm. The invitation had apparently reignited her fury about the photos, and a large group of students had gathered to watch her latest attempt to remove them.

'This is not acceptable!' she was shrieking. 'I mean it! I'll curse the whole bloody lot of yeh! Who did this? Yeh filthy little blood traitors, I'll find who did this!'

Ginny watched with amusement. It was the last day of term, so the idea of consequences for their actions seemed far off, and students had made the most of it. All day the Carrows had suffered from constant pranks; objects levitating after them, batting them round the head, fireworks in their desk drawers, Cornish pixies unleashed in their offices. Peeves had even been persuaded to follow Alecto around all day and belch loudly every time she spoke, which he was doing so at that very moment, inches from her face.

'Filch!' she was screaming. 'Get rid of him! Filch!'

'I can't, ma'am,' he said helplessly, grabbing a random student by the scruff of his neck. 'Was this you?' he demanded, pointing at the photo.

'They've been up ages!' said the Hufflepuff. 'Gerroff me! Let me go!'

But Filch kept hold of the wriggling student, and dragged him over to Carrow. 'I reckon it was this one,' he said. 'I reckon it was him what stuck the photo up.'

'I don't even know Harry Potter!' protested the student, but Carrow didn't seem to be interested.

'Get rid of this effing ghost,' she said, glaring at Peeves. 'He's been following me about all day, I want him gone.'

'Not a ghostie,' said Peeves gleefully, somersaulting in the air. 'Much better than that.'

'Get rid of him!' she shouted at Filch. 'What are you doing, you stupid man? Get your wand out and get rid of him.'

Filch paled considerably, still gripping the squirming student. He glanced anxiously round the crowd. 'Er… What spell should I use? I've never been able to get rid of him, ma'am.'

'Does she know he's a squib?' Demelza asked quietly.

'Apparently not,' replied Ginny, very much enjoying the scene before her.

Peeves burped again, and Carrow let out a growl of fury, tugging even harder on the photo, before switching unsuccessfully to Hagrid's invitation, scratching like a wild animal at the spell-o-tape.

' _There once was a witch named Carrrow_ ,' sang Peeves. ' _Whose romantic prospects were terribly narrow…_ '

'SHUT UP!' screeched Carrow, firing a jinx which went harmlessly through Peeves.

' _'_ _Cos she had a big zit, right on her tit…_ '

Students were no longer trying to hide their howls of laughter, and were instead ducking and hurrying away from Carrow's reach.

' _And a face like the arse of a sparrow!_ '

With a final roar of fury, Carrow began throwing random hexes, and the students scarpered. Ginny raced down the corridor with Demelza and Polly, panting and laughing, looking over her shoulder in case she was missing anything else exiting.

'I can't believe Hagrid's trying to have a party though,' said Polly, when they had at last reached the safety of the staircases. 'Isn't he worried he'll be arrested?'

'Hagrid doesn't really think these things through,' sighed Ginny. 'I did try to persuade him against the idea, but I think I may have actually made it worse. I think I'm going to go, though.'

'You're joking?' said Polly. 'Ginny, you know that's a stupid idea…'

'I know, but… It's Hagrid,' she said helplessly.

Demelza and Polly exchanged bewildered glances. 'Yes… But, Ginny, this goes beyond breaking school rules, attendees will probably be carted off to Azkaban,' said Demelza.

'He'll be so upset if no one goes,' said Ginny. 'And hopefully if I'm there I can help him make his quick escape.'

'He is planning on doing a runner then, is he?' asked Demelza. They began descending the stairs en route to the dungeons for potions, Carrow's shouts still faintly audible.

'Yes, but I don't know where to,' lied Ginny. 'For such a big guy he is good at slipping away and hiding though, he's done it before, remember? Besides, something exciting will happen and I don't want to miss out.'

'You're mad,' said Polly. 'Cormac said the only way to survive through this horrible mess is to keep your head down and try not to draw any attention to yourself. That's how he's getting through working at the Ministry.'

'Probably wise advice,' admitted Ginny. 'It's a bit late for me though.'

'Well, if it's all right with you, I think I'll steer clear of the party,' said Demelza.

'Perfectly understandable,' grinned Ginny. 'I'll tell you what happens on the train back tomorrow.'

The potions room was thick with steam, with Slughorn's large silhouette only faintly visible as he wrote on the blackboard. Before she made it to her seat, however, Ginny felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned to see, much to her displeasure, Harper grinning slimily down at her.

'Get lost,' she said at once.

'Going to the party tonight?' he asked.

'None of your business,' she scowled, crouching down to light the fire under her cauldron.

'I might tag along,' he said. 'It should be a good laugh to watch the oaf get arrested. Maybe you could come with me - I'll be better company than Potter ever was.'

She moved so quickly that he had no time to react. Suddenly his face screwed up in pain as bogey-bats shot out of his nostrils, flapping around his head as he squealed and fell backwards. Surrounding students laughed, but Ginny wasn't finished.

'Now listen very carefully,' she commanded, keeping her wand trained on him as he wriggled helplessly on the ground. 'I don't like you. Never have, never will. You're a slimy idiot not worthy of licking Hagrid's boots, and if you ever speak to me again I will make sure these bats are the least of your worries, got it?'

Her glare was so vicious, that by the time Slughorn reached them to find out what was going on, Harper was too afraid to say anything.

He was not the only one to ask her about the party, however. Her attendance seemed to be the deciding factor in a great many people's opinion of the event. What had originally been an attempt to keep an eye on Hagrid during his ill-advised party had now turned into something of a rallying cry, and she began to wonder if she was slipping into the same foolishness as him.

'Well I think you should definitely go,' said Romilda when she voiced her concerns at lunch. 'I think it'll be brilliant, I can't wait. I love parties, and Harry does too, it's the perfect tribute.' Ginny rolled her eyes, but thankfully Romilda didn't notice.

'It won't be a big success,' said Zaha. 'The Carrows and Snape have sent a message to the Ministry about it.'

'How do you know that?' asked Ginny sharply.

Zaha blushed and glanced awkwardly at Colin. 'I overheard them,' she said at last. Ginny waited expectantly, but Zaha turned back to her food.

'Who else is going?' asked Romilda, apparently oblivious to the tension around the table.

'I might, I suppose,' said Neville. 'I don't want Hagrid to face them on his own.'

'They'll take you to Azkaban!' said Polly hotly, looking very pale. 'Drag you off the train like they did to Luna!'

'We should do it for Harry,' said Romilda sanctimoniously. 'I'm not afraid of going to prison for him.'

'He's not going to snog you just because you've been acting like a martyr all year,' snapped Ginny. Romilda's pining and romanticism of Harry had been getting to her lately; it was no longer as amusing as it had been at the start of the year.

Romilda flushed. 'I don't know why you're getting so territorial all of a sudden. He ditched you, it's fair game. Or are you still together? I'm sure the Carrows would be interested to hear.'

Neville had to seize Ginny by the shoulders to stop her from standing, she withdrew her wand and pointed it at Romilda's face, Polly was calling for calm and Colin had thrown his arm protectively between the arguing girls, knocking over the salt shaker.

'Is that a threat?' Ginny growled. 'Been speaking with the Carrows have you? Hoping to get me out the way?'

'No I have not,' said Romilda forcefully. 'But you can't call dibs on a man who's ditched you-'

'He's not even here!' Ginny hissed. 'Stop acting like a love-sick puppy and focus on the important things-'

'Hear that?' Romilda asked Colin sarcastically. 'She doesn't think Harry's important.'

Ginny couldn't help but laugh. It was so petty, so silly, so immature…

Colin groaned. 'Pack it in, Romilda. Ginny, calm down. We're being watched.'

They all automatically turned their heads to the high table, where Snape's eyes were boring into them as he lounged sullenly in the Headmaster's chair.

They all fell silent, both Ginny and Romilda looking away from each other stubbornly. 'You know he hasn't ditched me properly,' Ginny muttered, staring into her soup. 'It's more complicated than that. There are more important things.' She  
now suddenly felt very embarrassed. This was her second outburst of the day, and if they hadn't been in a packed Great Hall, it would have been her second Bat-Bogey hex too. What was wrong with her? It was not like her to play the part of a jealous girlfriend.

Romilda didn't speak, but instead pouted dramatically. Was she really capable of telling the Carrows? She had defended Ginny earlier this year; claimed a romantic background with Harry at great personal risk to help Ginny's story. At the time, Ginny had put this down to a mixture of quick-thinking and a desire to be gossiped about, unable to resist the lure of attaching herself romantically. But now she was wondering if Romilda was deluded, perhaps genuinely believing that she and Harry could have been something…

Finally, Romilda spoke. 'I haven't been telling the Carrows anything,' she said reluctantly. 'I was just angry.'

'I think everyone's very tired,' said Zaha gently. 'This time tomorrow we'll all be on the train on our way home, and this  
will all be forgotten.'

'Zaha's right,' said Polly. 'Once we're all home, this will seem so silly.'

An image of the Burrow popped unexpectedly into Ginny's mind, and her eyes welled with tears. She now recognised the anger and desperation she was feeling as homesickness, and Neville's firm grip on her shoulder now became gentler, his thumb rubbing soothingly against her robes.

'Sorry,' said Ginny quietly. 'I'm sorry I'm lashing out so much at the moment.'

'Let's go to Hagrid's tonight,' said Neville. 'You may as well unleash some of that anger on some Death Eaters.'

'Yeah,' said Colin. 'We're Gryffindors, aren't we? We'll worry about being arrested after it happens.'

The rest of the day passed in a blurry haze of gossip. Students whose first thoughts had been to attend the party were now panicking at the prospect of being arrested, while others who had initially been too afraid were now worried about missing out. Everything was so confusing that when Ginny, Neville and Colin headed to Hagrid's hut after dinner, they wondered whether they would be the only ones.

Instead, a pulsing tide of students flowed from the Great Hall, eagerly chattering and excitably waving to friends. There was a clear divide in the students that were legitimately attending the party, and those who had turned up to see what would happen. A large group of Slytherins, careful to maintain their distance from the rest of the crowd, jeered and shouted slurs, occasionally aiming jinxes at nervous looking first years.

Hagrid had really gone all out for the party. Pink and purple bunting was strung haphazardly from his hut, stretching to trees at the edge of the forest and tied untidily to a post in the middle of the pumpkin patch. A gigantic barrel filled with ice had been filled with butterbeers and placed just outside his door, and a wireless was blasting The Weird Sisters from an open window. Hagrid himself was hoisting a large flag to the top of a make-shift flag pole. Harry's face fluttered down at them, the words ' _Support Harry Potter_ ' in bold red beneath it.

'Looks great, Hagrid!' called Neville. He glanced over his shoulder; students were nervous, many looked as though they were about to back out, and were lingering on the edge of the vegetable garden. 'Come on you lot! Free butterbeer!'

Ginny rushed forwards and embraced Hagrid, who looked extraordinarily pleased with himself. 'It looks brilliant, Hagrid. But apparently the Ministry's been called.'

He chuckled. 'Ah, well, too late to back out now. Migh' as well enjoy ourselves while we can, eh?'

Students were beginning to relax, ignoring the taunting observers nearby and instead grabbing bottles of butterbeer. Lavender and Parvati had even found the bravery to start dancing, banging their heads and jumping around with no inhibitions.

'Are you ready to make a run for it?' Ginny asked Hagrid quietly, as he sat on his front step.

He nodded, keeping a cheerful face but answering with a serious tone. 'Yep. Said goodbye to Grawpy. Left instructions fer Professor Grubbly-Plank in case they get her as a replacement. Got me cave nice an' cosy. Left Fang up there a couple o' hours ago.' He looked down at her, and perhaps her face betrayed her fear, because he continued. 'I wasn't goin' to last much longer, Ginny. The Carrows have already bin making threats and coming down here, trying to get information outta me. Snape knows I'm part of the Order and loyal to Dumbledore. Migh' as well go out in a blaze of glory.'

Ginny looked around the gaggle of students. Blaze of glory was perhaps an exaggeration. Terry Boot was refereeing a spontaneous wrestling match between Seamus and a rather large fifth-year boy. Hannah Abbott was gazing rather sappily up at Neville while he talked about plants, and Ernie MacMillan was loudly discussing his close friendship with Harry to a group of admiring first-years.

'Most thought he was mad,' he was saying grandly. 'But I knew that Harry had always been honest with us before, so I pledged my loyalty, an act I believe he greatly appreciated.'

'Everyone's havin' fun,' Hagrid said happily. Ginny looked at him. A fond beam was on his face, and he took a large swig from his hip flask. His eyes were rather red.

'You'll be back soon,' Ginny said.

'Ar, when the war's over,' he said. He looked at her, and suddenly his voice was low. 'We're on the edge of something, Ginny. Won't be long now.'

'Hagrid! HAGRID!'

Shrieks and yells summoned their attention, and Hagrid stood suddenly, looking imposing and threatening despite the garish decorations around him. Snape, flanked by the Carrows, was leading a group of half-a-dozen Ministry workers to the party, their wands drawn and their faces stony.

'Send the children back to the castle,' Snape ordered Hagrid.

'They're my guests,' said Hagrid menacingly. 'I invited them, as a teacher, so they're under my supervision. The curfew don't count, and we can do what we like.'

'You see?' said Snape to a Ministry worker. 'He's brainwashed them. Idiot children.'

'Get back inside!' shouted Amycus Carrow. 'The lot of yeh! Go on!'

'We're going nowhere,' said Seamus loudly. The Slytherins on the other side of the vegetable patch were jeering, echoing Carrow's command and making obscene gestures.

Ginny heard a slight click, and looked quickly to see Colin tucking his camera back into his robes. Zaha, who had been standing beside him throughout the party, was nowhere to be seen.

'Leave at once,' said Snape loudly. Detentions for after the Easter break will be organised.'

Some of the more nervous students began to hurry away, but all of the Gryffindors and many other members of the D.A resolutely stood their ground.

'We haven't got time for this,' said a Ministry worker.

'Feel free to go ahead,' said Snape, lazily.

'Rubeus Hagrid,' said the Ministry worker, marching forward, 'I am hereby placing you under arrest-'

Hagrid booted him, at least ten foot into the air, and lunged forward. Snape dived out of the way, crashing spectacularly into a fence and becoming entangled in bunting. The Carrows rushed forward too, but Hagrid batted them aside with a giant fist as though swatting away a pair of irksome flies, and continued a thunderous charge towards the Ministry workers.

The students cheered and hooted as the Ministry workers ran, Hagrid chasing them so furiously that Ginny was reminded of a stampeding rhino. He seized the legs of one of the wizards and swung him, taking out three others before tossing him aside. The remaining workers threw stunning spells at him, but they bounced off him harmlessly, one of them helpfully hitting a dazed Amycus Carrow as he rose unsteadily.

Hagrid continued to run, the ground shaking under his monstrous steps, but turned briefly to wave. 'Fer Dumledore!' he roared, punching the air. 'And fer Harry Potter!'

The students screamed their delight, jumping up and down and waving back, chanting his name and shooting bright red sparks into the darkening sky as he turned and continued to run towards Hogsmeade. Many of the Ministry workers were unconscious, but suddenly they too were collapsing to the ground in flashes of red as the students took advantage of the chaos.

Ginny was laughing; she felt exhilarated, free, excited. Snape was still untangling himself from the bunting, his wand had been kicked, possibly not by accident, from his reach by Jimmy Peakes, and he was shouting furiously after students, who began to run back up to the castle, occasionally trying to trip up the Slytherins who were rushing forward to help the Ministry workers and Snape.

'My leg!' a Ministry worker was squealing. 'He's broken my bloody leg!'

'Good!' Ginny shouted as she raced past him.

The party continued in the common room when they got back. Rather impressively, Seamus and a few other Gryffindor boys had had the good sense to grab armfuls of butterbeer as they left, an extremely popular decision in the celebratory atmosphere. Ginny, still elated by Hagrid's excellent escape, stood on one of the desks above the crowd.  
'Fer Dumbledore!' she impersonated. 'And fer Harry bloody Potter!'

They roared their approval, she took a swig on her bottle of butterbeer, feeling slightly punch-drunk from happiness. Students from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were here too, she could see Hannah Abbott collapsing in giggles with Neville's arm around her waist. Reminding her of the friends that were missing, Ginny reached into her pocket and pulled out a galleon.

 _Hagrid escaped in a blaze of glory, spirits high!_

The crowd felt their coins glow warm, and cheered once again, many of them holding the coins up in the air, where they glinted proudly in the firelight. Ginny hopped down from the table and stumbled gleefully over to Neville and Hannah.

'We're screwed once they've all woken up,' said Neville, grinning broadly.

Ginny laughed. 'Merlin, I know, they'll be furious.'

'Worth it?' asked Hannah.

'Definitely,' said Ginny. Her coin glowed warm.

 _How wonderful! Spirits high with me & Mr Ollivander too. Luna_

The night continued in glorious happiness. They watched out of the window as the dark figures on the lawn were taken to the hospital wing, and they giggled as silently as they could as they heard an enraged Alecto Carrow trying to get through the portrait.

'It's a very simple security measure,' they heard the Fat Lady say. 'I can't just let anyone in with no password, it's beyond my control.'

There would be consequences. They were painfully aware of that, especially when the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws realised that they were stranded in the Gryffindor tower. But, thought Ginny as she shared her bed with Hannah, it was hard to be scared after such a wonderful party.


	25. Chapter 25

Post-party analysis dominated the conversation the entire train journey home the next day. Students flitted from compartment to compartment exchanging information, some of which had grown to be rather elaborate.

'Hagrid ripped one of their heads off,' said a second year as he passed their compartment. 'Just grabbed it and twisted it, clean off! I was right there.'

Ginny thought about following and correcting him, but rather admired his imagination, so simply gave a bemused smile at Neville.

'I wonder where Hagrid is, though,' said Hannah Abbott. 'Did he have plans? He must have known he'd be arrested.'

'Yeah, I think he did,' said Ginny. 'He'll be all right. It's us we have to worry about now. For all we know, a list of our names has been sent to the Ministry and we'll be arrested at Kings Cross.'

'They can't arrest all of us,' yawned Seamus. 'We'll all just have detentions when we get back.'

'If we all come back,' said Ginny. 'My family's on the edge of going into hiding.'

Neville's face fell. 'Not you, too! You have to come back for the summer, Ginny. There'll be no Gryffindors left!'

'Just keep an eye on the coins,' she said. 'And promise me you'll send me a message if Harry, Ron and Hermione turn up?'

'I will,' said Neville glumly. 'But please come back.'

'Course I will, wouldn't want to miss my traditional welcome back to school torture,' said Ginny with a wink.

'Speaking of the coins, has anyone noticed any messages from Dean lately?' asked Seamus, his forehead creased with worry. 'I've seen nothing since he said the blokes he was with had died.'

'I'm sure he's all right,' said Hannah. 'We might have just missed some of his messages. Romilda probably changed it with her usual nonsense.'

'It's been over a week now though,' said Seamus. 'And we… He usually sends a message just letting me know he's okay every few days, really early in the morning so I don't miss it.' His voice wobbled slightly, so Lavender gripped his hand tightly.

'I'll ask around the Order, see if anyone has heard anything,' Ginny promised. 'I'm sure he's all right, he's probably just dropped it or something.'

'How hard d'you reckon it is to go on the run?' asked Colin. 'I've got a tent, it's Muggle, but it'd do, and me and Dennis could go off somewhere and keep the pressure off Demelza's family—'

'Don't be stupid, Colin, you've both still got the trace on you,' said Ginny. 'You'd be caught in less than a day.'

'Muggles go camping too, you know, not everything needs magic.'

'You're safer at Hogwarts, Colin,' said Neville firmly.

'Am I?' he demanded. 'What did you say happened to Lisa Turpin in your Muggle Studies class, Neville?'

'What happened?' asked Ginny, alarmed.

'She tried to get up and walk out,' said Seamus. 'Carrow was already in a bad mood because of Hagrid's party, she really laid into her.'

'Is she all right?'

'She had to go to the hospital wing,' said Colin fiercely. 'Madam Pomfrey had to push her down to Hogsmeade in a wheelchair to get the train. I think if it hadn't been for all the other teachers about, the Carrows would have been punishing people this morning as they left.'

'But they didn't,' said Neville. 'The other teachers _were_ and most of the time they can protect us. We just need to keep up what we're doing. Keep recruiting new D.A members, and distracting Snape and the Carrows so they can't get any work done. You'll not be much use to the war effort sitting in a tent in the middle of nowhere, Colin.'

'That's what Harry's doing, apparently,' muttered Colin quietly.

'He'll come back,' said Neville. 'I know he will. It's a shame we can't hide somewhere at school.'

The train rattled into London, and Ginny, with no small amount of effort, persuaded Crookshanks back into his carrier.

'You know what?' she said to him as he hissed and clawed at her face. 'I'm just going to leave you at home next term. Mum can look after you.'

Neville helped her with her luggage and gave her a strong armed hug as she stepped off the train. 'Aren't you coming?' she asked, as he loitered by the door.

'Er, yeah, I'm just going to… I just need to say bye to Hannah…' He looked nervously through the steam to the crowd collected on the platform. 'Just don't want Gran seeing…' he mumbled.

Ginny laughed. 'Got it. Say bye to her for me! See you after the holidays.'

She waved and hugged goodbye to the others, then began snaking her way through the crowded platform, looking for any sign of red hair. As post into Hogwarts had been virtually stopped, she had no idea who was going to be picking her up.

'All right, Ginny?' Before she could turn, Fred and George were either side of her, one of them quickly taking Crookshank's carrier and her trunk.

'Hey! I can carry that!'

'Now's not the time to argue against my naturally chivalrous nature, little sis,' said George. 'We've got to dash. Come on.'

'Is it just you two?'

'Yep,' said Fred cheerfully. 'We weren't joking though, we don't have much time.'

'Where are we—?'

But Fred had linked arms with her and twisted, and soon the suffocating feeling was closing around her, a deafening crack in her ears. She landed, stumbling slightly on her feet and taking deep, gulping breaths.

'You have to warn me when we're going to do that,' she said, but Fred just grinned at her. They were standing on a rather windswept moor, the last beams of daylight shining onto purple heather and dark hillsides. In the distance, a small village sat nestled in a valley.

'Read this,' said George, handing her a slip of parchment. 'Then give it back, because I have to burn it.'

 _The home of Remus Lupin and safehouse for the Order of the Phoenix is located at Torr Cottage, Scagglethorpe, North Yorkshire._

As soon as she read it, she suddenly became aware of a ramshackle little cottage, stone, with a mossy roof and a battered wooden door, just a few metres ahead of her. 'Why have we come here instead of going home?' she asked.

'We thought you'd want to help us out with Potterwatch,' said Fred, leading her up the slate path. 'I'm starring this week.'

'And it's Lupin's birthday. Tonks wanted you here with everyone for dinner,' added George. He knocked the door. 'Mum wanted you home straight away, but we told her—'

'Who's there?' came a voice through the door.

'Fred and George, and some loser,' replied George.

'What did you once tell me would be a benefit of dating Charlie Weasley?'

'That he'd never be there, so you wouldn't to listen to him drone on about dragons.'

The door opened, and a beaming Tonks appeared, heavily pregnant. 'Hello!' she cried, pulling Ginny forward into a tight hug. 'How are you? Thanks for coming, come on, get in out of the cold…'

Still feeling rather overwhelmed and confused, Ginny followed her across the threshold into the tiny cottage, which was packed with Order members. George had left her trunk just outside the door, but let Crookshanks, who was yowling loudly, out of his carrier.

'All right, Ginny? Fred? George?' Kingsley acknowledged them with a brief grin as he squeezed past them in the narrow corridor. Mundungus Fletcher leaned inconsiderately in the doorway to the sitting room, stuffing tobacco into his pipe and grunting his greeting at them as they passed.

'I thought Remus was moving in with you and your mum?' Ginny asked Tonks.

'He has, we're just using this as a safe house and for the broadcasts as we can't use the Jordan's house anymore… Make yourself at home!' Ginny couldn't see where she was possibly expected to sit — the large and awkward equipment she had seen at Lee's was now crammed awkwardly into the tiny sitting room, along with various people busying themselves with scripts and microphones. Bill and Fleur were there, along with Andromeda, Lee and his sister, and Sturgis Podmore, who was talking quietly to Lupin.

'Is everyone here for the broadcast?' asked Ginny, amazed.

'Well, it started like that, but a few people have tagged along just to say hello… I'll let Remus know you're here,' said Tonks, but Ginny seized her arm.

'Listen, Tonks, I'm so sorry about your dad…'

Tonks seemed to freeze, her face suddenly very tense. 'Let's not talk about it,' she said. 'Thank you for letting us know, Ginny, really.' She gave a small, sad smile and squeezed Ginny on the shoulder, before turning and walking over to Remus.

'Well done,' said George sarcastically.

'I had to say something!' hissed Ginny.

'Just don't say anything to Andromeda,' said Fred. 'That's a job strictly for Mum.'

Remus approached them, looking much happier than the last time Ginny had seen him. Fred shoved a parcel into his arms, neatly wrapped with a gold ribbon.

'Happy birthday,' he said. 'Mum got you this, she says sorry she couldn't pop round.'

Remus opened the parcel and pulled out a tiny yellow jumper, with a large red 'L' on the front. 'How sweet,' he chuckled. 'She didn't have to do that.'

'Are you kidding?' said George. 'She started knitting almost as soon as she found out the pair of you were expecting. She's got loads more, but I think she's waiting for the actual birth.'

Remus laughed again. 'Give her my thanks, it's wonderful, I'm sure the baby will love it. And Ginny, welcome back from Hogwarts.'

'Happy birthday,' she said, giving him a brief hug and a peck on the cheek. 'It's great to see you.'

'You too. Sorry to drag you here straight from school, but Dora really wanted to see you, and I thought you might like to help us with our broadcast tonight. We could squeeze you in if you wanted to feature? Get everyone up to speed with the latest Hogwarts news.'

'I better not speak on it. I was recognised last time and someone told the Carrows—'

'You're kidding?' interrupted Fred, paling considerably.

'Were you all right?' said Remus, who also looked alarmed.

'Yeah, sure,' said Ginny impatiently. 'But I do have news from Hogwarts. Have you heard about Hagrid?'

Remus looked terrified, glanced over his shoulder to look at Tonks and Andromeda, who were talking animatedly with Sturgis, and leaned closed to Ginny. 'Please tell me he's all right… What's happened?'

'Oh, he's fine!' said Ginny quickly. 'Absolutely fine! It's a great story, actually… Snape, the Carrows and some blokes from the Ministry tried to arrest him, but he just took them all out and made a run for it. Kicked one of them right in the air, knocked the rest of them to the ground.'

Fred and George both sighed and Remus's shoulders sank in relief. 'Thank Merlin for that, I couldn't bear the thought of telling Dora… What were they trying to arrest him for?'

'Er… He tried to throw a Support Harry Potter party.'

They stared at her. 'Of course he did,' said Fred, finally. 'Of course Hagrid did that.'

'I tried to tell him!' insisted Ginny. 'It was quite good, actually. I'm sure when we get back we'll all be in trouble, but it was worth it.'

Remus shook his head, looking very amused. 'Fred, George, could you both go and tell Lee? I have news to tell Ginny too.'

The twins both nodded and left. Remus looked back over at Tonks and gestured her to come over, a meaningful look on his face. 'What's going on?' asked Ginny, suddenly worried. 'Is everything all right?'

'Course it is,' said Tonks. 'Come on, let's go to the kitchen. It's nice and quiet in there.'

She followed them through to the kitchen, back past Mundungus who tried to follow them.

'Remus,' he croaked. 'Remus, I really went out me way to get that stuff for the show.'

'And we're very grateful, Dung,' said Remus pleasantly.

'Right, yeah, but y'know it wasn't exactly easy, getting radio equipment in the current climate—'

'I've no doubt,' said Remus, beginning to shut the kitchen door.

'I know I'm still in the dog 'ouse about last summer, but I really think I deserve some—'

Remus shut the door on him. 'Sorry about that,' he said to Ginny. 'Please, sit.'

The kitchen was very tiny, and rather shabby, but there were friendly signs of warmth dotted around. Potted plants hid cracked tiles, and photos cluttered the little available space. Ginny sat at the rickety table pushed against a wall, and her eye was caught by a photo of Harry, though as she looked closer she could see that it was James.

He was laughing, turned mostly away from the camera, but twisting to grin over his shoulder at the girl whose head was resting on his back, her eyes closed and face scrunched up in uncontrollable giggles. Ginny recognised her, was sure she had seen the same girl laughing before in some other photo.

'Is that Harry's mum?' she asked, frowning. She was sure she could remember holding a photo of this laughing girl in her own hands, but Harry had never showed her his photo album.

Remus nodded, helping Tonks and her huge bump slowly into her seat. 'Yes… I was going to give Harry the photo when Hagrid wrote years ago, but we were all so drunk that night it seemed rather inappropriate at the time.'

'You could show it to him when he's back,' said Ginny.

Remus looked at her carefully. 'Tea?' he asked her.

'No, thank you. What's going on?'

He sat, still looking at her oddly. Tonks pointed her wand at the door and cast a silencing charm. 'Please answer me honestly, Ginny,' said Remus. 'Are you in contact with Harry and the others? You can trust me.'

'No, I'm not,' said Ginny. 'Why?'

'We need to know that they're safe,' said Tonks.

A feeling of dread hit Ginny like a cold wave. 'What's happened? Why wouldn't they be safe? What's going on?'

'We went to Godric's Hollow at the end of January,' said Remus. 'On their birthdays I usually go and lay some flowers.' He nodded to the picture of Lily and James. 'Along with another rather unpleasant discovery I made when I dropped in to see an old friend, there was something else in the graveyard.'

'Unpleasant discovery?'

'It doesn't matter,' said Tonks quickly. 'A body of someone Remus knew, you didn't know her.'

'There were flowers already at the grave,' said Remus. 'Dead by the time I got there, but it looked like it was a wreath, so may have been placed there at Christmas. Understandably, I thought it may have been Harry.'

A flutter of hope sang in her chest like a tiny bird, but life with the Carrows had taught her to be cynical. 'Harry's never been there,' she said. 'I don't think he's ever left flowers there. I suppose lots of people do though.'

'Not really,' said Remus. 'For the first year or two after they died, yes, and occasionally at Halloween. But most of the time, it's just me. I didn't think the average witch or wizard would make such a risky display of loyalty, and there aren't many left alive who were particularly close to the Potters.'

'Harry wouldn't make that risk either,' said Ginny, though she knew even as she said it that it was a lie. Harry was always prepared to take risks, even foolish ones, for people he loved.

Remus sighed. 'Perhaps. I was just hoping you could confirm it either way, really. There was clear evidence of dark magic in the murder I came across, and I was concerned that Harry was in danger. I've been wanting to send a message out on the radio since then, but because of the raids…'

He looked so defeated, and Tonks so sympathetic, that Ginny forced herself to swallow her cynicism, to allow herself to hope. 'It probably was him,' she admitted. 'He was saying at the end of last year that he wanted to go. I'm sure we would have heard if he was in any danger.'

'I'm sure what happened to Bathilda was completely unconnected,' Tonks told Remus, rubbing his hand. 'It's like you always say, isn't it? We'd know if something had happened.'

He nodded, steely determination on his face. 'He's fine,' he said. 'He'll be back before long and we can tell him the good news.' He patted Tonks' bump gently, and she grinned at him.

'If Ron managed to get back in touch with him, he'll know you're back together,' said Ginny.

Remus blushed. 'I still haven't apologised. And we need to let him know he'll be godfather.'

'He will?' asked Ginny, breaking into a broad grin. 'Oh, he'll be so happy!'

The door opened, and Lee's sister stuck her head in. 'We need to get going, Remus, it's nearly eight.'

'Coming, Stacey,' he replied, standing. He looked at Ginny. 'If you hear from him, from any of them, please tell me. I promise I won't do anything silly.'

Ginny smiled. 'I know you won't.'

She followed them back through to the living room, where those who were speaking on the show had taken seats by the magically suspended microphones, and everyone else had squeezed along the walls to watch.

'Hey, Ginny,' whispered Fred as she wriggled her way past Fleur. 'Have you or Seamus or someone heard from Dean? His mum and sister got in touch with us—'

'Going live in three… two…' Stacey said loudly. The room fell silent, Fred hastily hurrying to his seat as quietly as possible. There was a pause, and then she turned a dial and nodded to Lee.

'Good evening, and welcome to Potterwatch. We apologise for our temporary absence from the airwaves, which was due to a number of house-calls in our area by those charming Death Eaters. Thankfully, we have now found ourselves another secure location, and I'm pleased to tell you that two of our regular contributors have joined me here this evening. Evening boys!'

'Hi.'

'Evening, River,' said Remus, holding back a grin. Tonks had taken the opportunity to point her wand at the top of the wall facing Remus, where a banner saying _HAPPY BIRTHDAY_ had materialised. Ginny grinned too; it was wonderful seeing them both so happy. Tonks' smile faltered though, as Lee announced the death of her father and Dirk Cresswell. Andromeda closed her eyes and held a clenched fist to her mouth, rocking in her chair slightly.

'…A goblin by the name of Gornuk was also killed. It is believed that Muggle-born Dean Thomas and a second goblin, both believed to have been travelling with Tonks, Cresswell and Gornuk, may have escaped. If Dean is listening, or if anyone has any knowledge of his whereabouts, his parents and sisters are desperate for news.'

Ginny took the moment to shake her head sadly at Fred, whose shoulders sank. She felt guilty for not being more concerned about her ex-boyfriend; she had dismissed Seamus so easily on the train. But it was true that nobody had heard from him, and as terrified as she was for her missing friends and relatives, she couldn't imagine how hard it must be for his Muggle family, who probably barely understood why he had to leave…

'Finally, we regret to inform our listeners that the remains of Bathilda Bagshot have been discovered in Godric's Hollow. The evidence is that she died several months ago. The Order of the Phoenix informs us that her body showed unmistakable signs of injuries inflicted by Dark Magic… Listeners, I'd like to invite you to join us in a minute's silence in memory of Ted Tonks, Dirk Cresswell, Bathilda Bagshot, Gornuk and the unnamed, but no less regretted, Muggles murdered by the Death Eaters.'

Silence fell, and Ginny could hardly stand to see the grief on Tonks and Andromeda's faces. She closed her eyes, and an image of Harry appeared in her mind, standing in front of two gravestones, holding a wreath of flowers. Had he really been there? Knowing that he could be accounted for at a certain place and time was like a friendly little wave; it warmed her, even though she knew that he had likely been grieving.

'Thank you,' said Lee. 'And now we turn to our regular contributor, Royal, for an update on how the new wizarding order is affecting the Muggle world.'

Lee and Kingsley began to talk, but Ginny saw Andromeda quietly slip out of the room, unnoticed by Tonks or anyone else. Ginny followed, and found her leaning against the wall, breathing heavily.

'Andromeda?' said Ginny, closing the door quietly behind her.

Andromeda looked up, her eyes full of tears. 'Oh, I'm so sorry, just ignore me—'

'Don't be silly,' said Ginny. 'Andromeda, I'm so, so sorry about Ted.'

Andromeda gave half a choked sob and suddenly stood up straight, smoothing down her robes. 'I'm fine. I'm so sorry, Ginny, you shouldn't have seen me like that.'

Ginny took a risk. 'For a while, we were in contact with Dean Thomas. He said Ted was really great, taking really good care of him.'

Andromeda's lip trembled. 'Of course he was. That's just like the Ted I know. Kind right down to his soul. He'd do anything for anyone. Bravery didn't come into it, everything he did just because it was the right thing to do.'

'Sounds like he was wonderful,' said Ginny. She had watched her mother do this hundreds of times. She knew how to listen, to let people take their time and comfort themselves. All you had to do was patiently wait with an understanding ear.

'He was,' said Andromeda, and she smiled slightly, though now tears had begun to fall. 'The most wonderful person I ever met. Now I feel lost. When you love someone that much… It's like losing a limb, you just don't know how to live like you did before. But I still have Dora,' she said firmly. 'I never wanted to get mixed up in all this Order business, you know. I am a Slytherin, after all, and the smart thing to do is just to keep your head down and wait it all out. Keep yourself and your family alive by being wholly unremarkable. But Ted said we should help, and Dora wanted to help too. He encouraged her, right from the beginning.'

Ginny nodded gently. She had heard Tonks talk about her father. Long ago, in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place, talking about how proud he had been when she told him she'd joined.

'I warned him. I told him, you'll get our daughter killed, and I said to him, Ted, you're a Muggle-born, you're already a big enough target without getting us all associated with the Order of the Phoenix. But he said that if we could see our daughter live in a happier world it would all be worth it.' She looked at Ginny fiercely, somehow looking both alike and different from Bellatrix Lestrange at once. 'If all of this means I get to see my daughter happily married with a beautiful child, it will all be worth it. Even losing Ted… Even that's worth it for my Dora.'

Ginny smiled sadly. 'Then that's what you can focus on. A baby on the way, and Tonks and Remus both looking happier than I've ever seen them, despite all this.'

Andromeda smiled. She was still crying, but her smile was genuine and hopeful. 'They are, aren't they? It's how I know we'll all be all right in the end. I just imagine us all waving a little boy or a little girl off on the Hogwarts Express. All of this will be a distant memory by then. Come on, let's get back inside.' She wiped away her tears and placed a motherly arm around Ginny, guiding her back into the living room.

When they returned, Remus was talking, warning the listeners against hosting 'Support Harry Potter' parties with a wry smile. Tonks looked up, worried, but both Ginny and Andromeda gave her reassuring smiles. Before long, Fred was making his radio debut, an expression of pure exhilaration on his face.

'As our listeners will know, unless they've taken refuge at the bottom of a garden pond or somewhere similar, You-Know-Who's strategy of remaining in the shadows is creating a nice little climate of panic. Mind you, if all the alleged sightings of him are genuine, we must have a good nineteen You-Know-Who's running around the place.'

He pointed at Kingsley, who nodded and took his cue. 'Which suits him, of course. The air of mystery is creating more terror than actually showing himself.'

'Agreed,' said Fred cheerfully. George stood in front of him, holding a sheet of parchment with words on. Evidently this area of the script was one he had struggled to remember, but he read the words with ease, sounding as natural as normal. 'So, people, let's try and calm down a bit. Things are bad enough without inventing stuff as well. For instance, this new idea that You-Know-Who can kill with a single glance from his eyes. That's a _Basilisk_ , listeners.'

Ginny was having to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing, her shoulders shaking. It was wonderful to sit here and see the Blitz spirit her friends and family were encouraging; she caught Tonks' eye, and grinned broadly, feeling increasingly relaxed.

'One simple test,' continued Fred. 'Check whether the thing that's glaring at you has got legs. If it has, it's safe to look in the eyes, although if it really is You-Know-Who, that's still likely to be the last thing you ever do.'

'And the rumours that he keeps being sighted abroad?' prompted Lee.

George looked at the parchment, horrified, and shrugged at Fred, who glared and shook his head at Lee, but continued with an air of joviality. 'Well, who wouldn't want a nice little holiday after all the hard work he's been putting in? The point is, people, don't get lulled into a false sense of security, thinking he's out of the country. Maybe he is, maybe he isn't, but the fact remains he can move faster than Severus Snape confronted with shampoo when he wants to, so don't count on him being a long way away if you're planning on taking any risks. I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but safety first!'

Ginny's stomach hurt from trying to hold in her laughter; Fred was looking very pleased with himself, taking silent bows to his audience as Lee bade the listeners goodnight. As soon as Stacey had clicked the dial to go off the air, George rounded on Lee.

'We weren't bloody expecting that, you muppet!'

Lee shrugged casually. 'Sorry, I must have forgotten to make the changes to your script. You handled it well, though, Fred.'

'Yes, very good. Hopefully it's put minds at ease,' said Remus. 'Now, dinner anyone?'

It was late by the time Fred and George Apparated Ginny back. They had not been able to find Crookshanks, who had fled as soon as he had spotted the carrier being opened, but Tonks promised that they would try and take him back to Andromeda's and return him to the Burrow at the next opportunity.

Despite Ginny's protests that she had already eaten, Molly fussed and cajoled her into having a ham and cheese toastie, demanding to know what had been going on at school.

'I'll tell you tomorrow, Mum,' yawned Ginny. 'Can't I go to bed now?'

'I've been hearing awful things!' said Molly. 'If we need to pull you out of that school and go into hiding, then so be it!'

'We'll talk about it tomorrow,' groaned Ginny.

'How were Remus and Tonks, did they like the baby jumper?'

'Yes, Merlin, Mum just let me go to bed!'

'Well, go to bed then, I'm not stopping you!' said Molly huffily. Ginny rolled her eyes and Fred and George sniggered behind their mother's back, but eventually Molly permitted her daughter to hug her goodnight and wearily climb the stairs to bed.

Arnold, who had spent the entire evening curled up asleep in Ginny's pocket, seemed to sense he was in the familiar old room, and scurried onto her shoulder.

'You've missed a fun evening,' she told him sleepily. She scooped him up and placed him on her bed, where he immediately rolled under her pillow. After untidily unpacking her trunk (which here meant dumping her clothes on the floor) and clumsily changing into her pyjamas, still yawning widely, she crawled into bed, her body aching. She had forgotten to draw the curtains, but was glad of it, because she could see the brilliantly starry sky, remembering with warmth how she had stared at a similar sky from her bed in Hogwarts. Like before, she imagined Harry under those stars, and something told her that he was under them too, that somewhere far away he was looking at their beauty.

'Ginny! GINNY!'

Her eyes snapped open. She hadn't even realised that she had been asleep, and she sat up groggily.

'Waz goin' on? Are we being attacked? Is Harry here?'

Her father had burst into her room, wand drawn, looking panicked. He ran to the bed and shook her, even though she was already awake. 'Two minutes, Ginny, we need to leave in two minutes! Gather your things and get downstairs.'

'What's going on?' she demanded again, pulling herself out of bed.

'We need to leave NOW! I mean it, Ginny, two minutes!'

He raced out of the room again, and Ginny could hear rumbling footsteps and shouting from Fred and George's room, a commotion downstairs, a recognisable male voice talking rapidly. Her heart now racing and feeling wider awake than she ever had been, she seized armfuls of the clothes on the floor and threw them back into her trunk, shoving an unmatched pair of socks on her feet and pulling a jumper over her pyjamas, before grabbing random items and throwing them in too, barely thinking about what she was doing. She could hear voices shouting her name impatiently, she grabbed her wand and threw it in there too, as she had no pockets, and hurried out the door She had nearly reached the bottom of the stairs before she remembered Arnold, likely still quietly snoring under her pillow.

She turned and tried to go back up the stairs, but in her exhaustion had forgotten the lumbersome trunk she was pulling stumbling over it. A hand seized the back of her jumper.

'Come on, Ginny!' Bill said desperately, pulling her back down the stairs. 'We're waiting for you, we need to go now!'

She barely registered her surprise at his appearance, and tried to scramble back over the trunk. 'Arnold!' she shouted. 'I forgot Arnold!'

'They could be here any minute, come on, Ginny!' His strong arms lifted her, holding her round the waist under one arm as she flailed stupidly, grabbing her trunk with the other

'Arnold!' she sobbed. 'Arnold! _Accio Arnold!_ '

But her wand rolled uselessly around in her trunk, and Bill carried her out of the house. As soon as he had reached the rest of the family, also in their pyjamas and clutching suitcases, he twisted, and they vanished with a crack.


	26. Chapter 26

The landscape surrounding Prewett House was flat and bleak; almost sinister in the misty light of the early hours. A canal snaked alongside the red brick house, which loomed impressively over the rushes, intricate gothic detailing and a thick wall of ivy adding a haunting air to the place that Ginny had never particularly liked. A smattering of stars still clung to the sky, but Ginny did not stop to look at them. Her bare feet were cold and uncomfortable in her wellingtons as Bill hurried her up the muddy track, her trunk floating alongside them.

'We have to go back for—'

'I'm not going back for a pygmy puff, Ginny,' muttered Bill, sounding very stressed. 'I'm really sorry, I'll buy you a new one—'

'Did you let her know we were coming, Bill?' asked Arthur, as they approached the house.

'Er…'

Molly sent him a withering look and raised the wrought iron knocker. 'Well, we're here now,' she said as she knocked. Ginny could hear it echoing through the house. They waited in the silence, before a light on one of the upper floors flickered on and the drive was illuminated in warm yellow light.

'Here she comes,' muttered Fred. 'It'll be daylight before she makes it down all those stairs though.'

'Remind me why the Prewetts were so rich yet we're so poor?' asked George resentfully. Molly hushed him irritably. Even in the darkness Ginny could see her father blush. The silence was only broken by the distant sound of a yowling fox.

'Who is it?' came a screeching voice. 'Who's waking me up at this ungodly hour? I'm one-hundred and eight, you know, I need my rest—'

'It's the Weasleys, Auntie,' called Molly. 'We need to hide here. Do you remember, we've discussed it?'

A small hatch above the knocker scraped open loudly, and Aunt Muriel's ancient face peered at them from behind a grate. 'How do I know it's you?' she demanded.

'We made these plans in September,' said Molly. 'After I confessed to you who our special guest was at the wedding.'

'Hmmph.' Muriel's face grew even more lined as she furrowed her brow. 'I'm still not happy you hid that from me, Molly, I am one-hundred and eight, you know, I can keep secrets when necessary.'

'Please, Auntie Muriel,' said Bill impatiently. 'It's very important, please let us in.'

She gave a grumbling sigh and closed the hatch. There was a brief rattle before the door opened with a slow, deep creak. Muriel stood in a long white nightdress and tartan dressing gown, her white hair tucked up into a hair net above her scowling face.

'Your lives better be in danger,' she snapped.

'They are, I'm afraid,' said Bill, pushing his family across the threshold. The house smelt musty and was incredibly dark, filled with the same faded Edwardian furnishings Ginny suspected had been here during Muriel's childhood, all with a faint layer of dust.

'What are you looking so sad about, Ginevra? Girls your age should smile, it's much prettier,' said Muriel grumpily, leading them to the sitting room.

'My pet— Arnold…We had to leave him behind…'

'Oh, don't be silly, girl, pets come and go,' said Muriel. 'I've had many over the last one-hundred and eight years. Now, what on earth has happened, why are you all here? When are you all going home?'

'Yeah, what has actually happened?' asked Fred, looking accusingly at Bill.

The rest of the family had sat in the wingbacked armchairs and cracked leather sofa, but Bill stood anxiously by the marble fireplace, which was empty and cold. He leaned against it with one hand, his scars glaring red against his pale face.

'They arrived at the cottage,' he said hoarsely. 'Ron, Harry, Hermione…'

'They did?' shouted Ginny excitedly.

'Don't _squeal_ , Ginevra,' scolded Muriel.

'Are they all right?' asked George.

Bill sighed and shook his head. 'I don't know what's happened. There are others with them. Ollivander, a goblin, some boy and a girl—'

'But that could be Luna!' cried Ginny, delighted.

'Ginevra!'

Bill looked at her despairingly. 'They're in a bad way, Ginny, all of them. Hermione was virtually unconscious, I think she'd been tortured. Ron was sobbing. All of them were thin and pale, looking really roughed up, and Harry was clutching a dead elf. As I left he was digging it a grave by hand.'

'Without magic?' remarked Muriel, scandalised. 'For an elf?'

'Is Hermione going to be all right?' asked Ginny, her heart plummeting. 'She's not…She won't be like…?'

'Fleur's looking after her,' he said. He glanced at Arthur. 'We'd better do the Fidelius charm now.'

'Quite right,' said Arthur, rising out of his chair. 'As planned? Muriel, you still know the charm—?'

She spluttered, great offence crossing her face. 'Well of course I do, how dare you? I suppose you think because I'm one-hundred and eight I'm forgetting things, do you?'

'Not at all,' he said swiftly. 'I'm simply aware that it's a complex spell, well beyond my own capabilities. If you'd be happy to cast it for us; I'm going to be Secret Keeper for here, Bill for Shell Cottage.'

'I don't mind being Secret Keeper,' piped up Fred cheerfully. 'Always thought it sounded quite glamorous and mysterious—'

'Shut up, Fred,' said Bill impatiently. 'We don't have time for this. Muriel, if you don't mind?'

Arthur stood in front of Muriel, grasping her bony left hand in his own. 'State the secret to be kept,' she commanded.

'The location of Prewett House, Berney Arms, in the Norfolk Broads.'

' _Fidelio opscurus_ Arthur Weasley _celatum_ ,' said Muriel, pulling her wand from their joined hands to Arthur's chest. Threads of silver and black floated around them and into his chest like smoke. Muriel watched with a shrewd eye. 'Hmm… That should do it. Come on now, William, you next.'

They repeated the spell for Bill, then the second it was completed he turned to them. 'I'd better get back, I just needed to get you all to a safe place, especially if Ron was spotted by a Death Eater. Don't leave the house,' he added sharply, looking directly at Ginny. 'I mean it, I'll update you all when I can.'

'You're not barging into my house and leaving already!' barked Muriel. 'I demand more answers. I'll put some tea on.'

'No, sorry, I have to go,' said Bill abruptly, adjusting his travelling cloak. 'Sorry to impose, Auntie Muriel. Goodnight, all.' With that, he stalked out, the door thudding shut behind him.

The grandfather clock ticked slowly. Molly's bottom lip was trembling, she was breathing deeply as though trying to calm herself. Arthur rubbed her shoulder soothingly.

'They're all at Bill's now,' he said. 'Well protected under the Fidelius. It's the best protected they've been all year, I imagine.'

'Well, the Fidelius charm didn't help the Potter family, did it?' said Muriel loudly. 'I don't know, I warned you, Molly, I warned you that marrying into certain families attracted trouble, though I suppose your brothers did well enough getting themselves killed without marriage—'

Molly stood quickly. 'I'll fetch that tea, shall I?'

Muriel blinked owlishly, thankfully not noticing Ginny rolling her eyes dramatically and Fred and George wincing in unison. 'Oh, yes please, thank you, Molly.'

Arthur sighed. 'Well, at least we know where they are. I dread to think what's just happened to Hermione, or how on earth Harry managed to come back with a dead elf.'

'And to dig it a grave too,' said George. 'Blimey, I hope it wasn't that little one he liked… What was his name? Dotty? Dopey?'

'Dobby…' said Ginny, feeling a great weight on her chest. 'Dad, could I—?'

'No,' he said firmly. 'Ginny, you are not to go there.'

'But, if it's protected too—'

'Ginny, I'm not risking it, we're staying put.'

She huffed and folded her arms stubbornly. 'I want to make sure Hermione's all right,' she muttered.

'She'll be fine. I bet Fleur's a great nurse, she probably has a little outfit and everything,' said Fred, sniggering. He stopped smirking under Arthur's glare, and ignored Muriel, who kept repeating 'I don't get it'.

'Ollivander too,' said Arthur. 'And a goblin. Goodness…'

'Plus two other people,' added George.

'I'm sure the girl is Luna,' said Ginny. 'She managed to contact us and she said she was with Ollivander.'  
They stared at her. 'You've been in contact?' asked Fred. 'How?'

'The old D.A. coins,' she replied. 'I thought you knew. That's how I heard about Ted Tonks from Dean.'

Fred's mouth formed an 'o' of realisation. 'I didn't even think, I just supposed you'd got an owl through…'

'Never mind that,' snapped Muriel. 'Ollivander's a very important man, heaven knows I assumed he was dead. And now Ginevra's telling us she's known where he was all this time?'

'I didn't!' she protested. 'I just knew Luna was with him. She said they were in a dungeon. I thought it must be Azkaban.'

'I don't even know where my old coin is,' said George, disappointedly. 'It must still be in the flat over the shop.'

Molly returned with the tea on a stained silver tray, the teacups rattling slightly. 'Here we are,' she said softly. 'We'll have a quick drink to calm down and then see if we can catch a few hours more sleep—'

'Don't be silly, Molly,' said Muriel. 'I'm usually up around this time anyway. Have your tea and then you can all go and unpack while I make some breakfast. I usually have dry toast but I suppose you'll be wanting something more fussy.'

Ginny selected one of the smaller rooms, the closest she could find that resembled her own at home. At one time it must have belonged to a servant, as there was nothing but an old bed with cold metal bars and a chipped sink beneath a mirror flecked with black spots. Yet, like her own at home, the window looked out across an appealing view, which in the daylight looked far prettier and more welcoming. She was not sure how far the Fidelius charm extended beyond the boundaries of the house, but doubted it would allow her to take out the rowing boat she could see tethered to the bank of the canal.

Going through her trunk, she could see with distress that in the hurry and panic she had made very poor choices as she'd packed. Why she had brought her heels and left her trainers she had no idea, but at least she had her walking boots. With a pang she realised that she had managed to pack treats for Arnold, but not Arnold himself, and could have kicked herself when she saw her wand rolling around at the bottom of the trunk. How many times had Harry told them in the D.A. to always keep hold of their wands?

She pressed her hands against her face, squeezing her eyes shut so tightly that splotches of purple floated in the darkness. She felt alone and afraid, in this horrible ghostly house that she barely remembered from Christmases long ago, knowing that Harry, Ron, Hermione and maybe even Luna were achingly within reach…

She shook herself lightly and dug out her jeans and an old Weird Sisters top. With relief, she realised her D.A. coin was safely in her pocket. She deliberated sending a message, but remembered her father's firm expression and decided, for the time being, to keep quiet. She began to head back downstairs, but Muriel's shrill voice floated from the kitchen, and she decided to explore the old house.

As a child, she had found it too spooky to wander off on her own, though she vaguely remembered Fred and George locking her in the wine cellar "by accident" once. The last time she had been here she had only been six years old, but even then she had realised that her mother's family had at one time been rich and prestigious, now reduced to the skeleton of their former respectability. She far preferred the cosy Burrow.

She climbed a spiralling staircase and found herself in Aunt Muriel's potions room; a huge pewter cauldron wider than she was tall sitting in the middle of the vast, circular room. Shelves filled with dusty bottles lined the curved walls, and floating suspended in the air were dusty glass spheres, much like the ones she had seen in the Department of Mysteries. Curious, she approached one, her ears picking up a faint buzzing. She wiped the glass with her sleeve, and it dipped and floated away as though in water, clinking against another and sending it spinning gently across the room. She approached it again and this time held it steady as she cleaned it, and saw that inside hovered a dragonfly. She was not sure if it was truly alive or not. Whether the wings had simply been enchanted to keep beating uselessly after death or whether the insect was trapped in the tiny, dusty prison. She checked the others and they, too, held insects; butterflies, lacewing flies, beetles and bees.

'They're creepy, aren't they?' She jumped, and spun to see Fred standing in the doorway. He looked oddly pale. 'We've been calling you for breakfast,' he said. 'Muriel's managed to make bacon look unappetising.'

'Why are they in these?' Ginny asked quietly, looking back at a millipede twisting and scuttling in its sphere.

'Muriel studies them,' he said. 'She used to be a potioneer, didn't she? She looks for the different properties and their uses in potion making.'

'Surely she can retire now?' said Ginny. 'She's one-hundred and seven, after all.'

'One-hundred and eight now,' he corrected with a smile.

'Are they alive?'

He studied her face carefully. 'Sort of, I suppose… You all right, Ginny? We were worried you'd…'

'Ran off to find Harry?'

'Yeah. I guess I should be relieved you're in the insect room, but really, couldn't you find a more cheerful place to go and sulk?'

She turned back to look at the millipede, its many legs rippling unpleasantly. 'Can't we free them? It seems horrible that they're trapped.'

'No,' he said quietly. 'They have a purpose in staying here.'

She looked at him out the corner of her eye. 'Don't you want to get back to your shop? Not like you and George to sit around doing nothing.'

'Whenever our customers need us, we'll be there,' he said grandly. 'Come on now, let's get you down for breakfast. You can stand up for insect rights over bacon sarnies.'

Breakfast was a subdued affair, mostly listening to Muriel recounting the most scandalous parts of Rita Skeeter's book on Albus Dumbledore and throwing digs at Molly about hiding Harry's presence from her at the wedding. 'He was very interested in it all, Molly, I should have guessed really. Had I known it was him, I could have said much more about Dumbledore's time in Godric's Hollow, I know he would have been interested.'

'Remus said Harry might have been at Godric's Hollow at Christmas,' remembered Ginny suddenly, hoping to give their ears a break from Muriel.

'Really?' asked Molly. 'How does he know?'

'There were flowers at the grave.'

'Well, that could have been anybody!' said Muriel. 'I've heard a few people have been going there lately, trying to leave messages for him. Silly, if you ask me, they should just knock that house down, it's such an ugly reminder.'

'The house is still there?' asked George.

'Certainly! Quite horrible it is too, I have visited it regularly, for historical purposes, you see. Half of the top floor completely blown apart, rubble still all over the lawn. They don't let anyone inside, of course, but if you look through the windows you can see that they've left it just as it was.'

'Odd,' said Arthur coldly. 'I went to pay my respects not long after it happened and the windows are quite far from the road.'

'Yes, you have to hop over the garden wall, they've put a silly sign in the way of the gate. Not an easy feat at my age, I tell you, but well worth the effort. I wish you had told me he was there at the wedding, Molly, I wanted to ask him to open it up, it would make such an interesting museum. From a historical perspective.'

For some reason, Ginny thought briefly of Harry's possessions burning, the way his telescope had cracked and melted in the heat, the pages of his books and old letters curling and crumbling away. 'Is there anymore ketchup?' she asked abruptly.

'Yes, here,' said Molly quickly. 'You have to bash the bottom of the bottle a bit though.'

'The brown sauce is easier to get out,' added George, apparently equally keen to change the topic of conversation.

'I met Lily Potter once you know,' continued Muriel. 'Of course, she was Lily Evans, back then—'

'Which does everyone prefer? Ketchup or brown sauce?' asked Fred loudly.

'—And she was only a student, but she was quite gifted at potions, so she came to my old shop in Upper Flagley to ask for career advice—'

'I'm a brown sauce man myself,' said Arthur, even louder.

'—Along with her friend Severus Snape!'

There was a sudden silence. Muriel, who innocently polished off the last of her bacon sandwich, appeared not to notice their surprise, but Ginny could tell from the proud way Muriel had set her shoulders that she was well aware of the quality of the gossip she had just revealed.

'Snape?' Ginny said, feeling slightly revolted.

'Oh yes, good friends they were, at the time. Both of them loved potions, but still, they were an odd match. He was downright surly, from what I remember, but she was quite the chatterbox. Obnoxious, if you ask me.'

'I think you may be confused, Auntie,' said Molly carefully. 'I expect you met lots of students in your time.'

'Molly, I never forget a face. Certainly wouldn't forget hers, she was a pretty little thing. Lovely dark red hair. Not that awful ginger you lot have got.'

'I'm sure they weren't friendly,' said Arthur. 'He was a Slytherin; they probably just came in together as a coincidence.'

'Fewer freckles than you lot too,' added Muriel, looking with distaste at George's arm. 'It's a shame that Harry Potter didn't get more of her looks; from the photos I've seen he always looks scruffy and miserable.'

'I'm going to go and finish unpacking,' said Ginny irritably.

'Same,' added George, glancing pointedly at Fred. 'Oh, and er… Auntie Muriel? That back room by the larder… Do you, er… use it, at all?'

'No, and it could do with cleaning out, actually,' she replied. 'There's all sorts of junk in there. That can be your project for while you're here.'

'We'd _love_ to,' said Fred happily. Ginny and her parents stared at the twins in utter bemusement.

'Hmmph, good. Nice to see you're being proactive.'

The next week crawled by achingly slowly. Ginny sped through her books quickly, taking to helping her mother clean in an effort to get away from Muriel's inane chatter and gleeful gossiping. Fred and George had vanished one morning and returned with boxfuls of products, ignoring Molly's shouting about safety and security and piling them up in the cold back room.

'We've been quite clever with our mail order service,' Fred told her. 'People can write to the shop but we've managed to modify our letter box there to copy all letters that go through. The messages will appear here.' He pointed to a long roll of parchment and a slightly glowing quill which stood poised above it. 'Then we can just send it to the return address. I don't think Erroll's up to it though; we'll have to use Muriel's owl.'

'That's… amazing magic,' said Ginny. 'How on earth did you figure out how to do that?'

'It wasn't easy,' said George.

'It took a bit of fiddling with the Protean charm. It was your D.A. coins that gave us the idea,' said Fred. 'Plus a little inspiration from that old map we gave Harry.'

'Hermione's coins,' corrected Ginny. 'And it was Terry that modified them.'

'It's a brilliant spell all the same,' said Fred. 'You know, I think there's a lot of potential there. Might as well use our time here to come up with a new range.'

'A victory day range,' suggested George. 'When Harry gets rid of You-Know-Who, we could get him to endorse us—'

Ginny snorted. 'Good luck trying to capitalise on his fame.'

'But he _knows_ us.'

'Besides, we can threaten him with Muriel. We'll say if he doesn't, then we'll kidnap him and bring him round here for tea.'

'To discuss the opening of the museum?' Ginny asked slyly.

'Precisely.'

They had heard very little from Bill about Harry and the others. He had sent a Patronus to Arthur confirming that Hermione was recovered and that the two mystery people were Luna and Dean Thomas, but had not been able to make contact beyond that. Fred and George at once wrote a Muggle letter to Dean's mother and sisters to let them know he was safe, risking a ten minute walk to the nearest post box under disillusionment charms.

Ginny had a long discussion with her father, before coming up with a suitable message to send out on the coins.

 _Luna & Dean safe with my family, we are all in hiding. Ginny x_

'Are you sure I can't mention Harry?' she asked him. 'It would cheer everyone up.'

'I'm sure it would, but if you're right about there being a traitor in your midst, it's best not,' he said.

Ginny spent many hours hidden away in her tiny room, looking up at the cracked plaster of the ceiling, desperately searching her memories for any clues about who the traitor could be, and wondering if they would continue passing information now she had left the school. That it had always seemed personal against her seemed odd, and she couldn't deny that she still held a great deal of distrust with Romilda after her thinly veiled threat in the Great Hall. She had never made it a secret that she lusted after Harry, and there was certainly enough motive there to try and remove Ginny from the competition. Yet Harry was not there to fight over; eliminating Ginny would not bring him any closer to Romilda or the glamorous relationship she envisioned. Was she smart enough to realise that?

Another suspect that had occurred to her one particularly dull evening was Polly. There was something unsettling about her sudden relationship with Cormac McLaggen, who Ginny trusted about as much as she would trust a Grindylow. But Polly had been unfailingly kind, supportive, even protective; accompanying her down corridors and to classes, listening to her deepest fears and concerns, advising her when the Carrows were close. Ginny liked to think she was good at reading people, and she couldn't see any personal grudge against her from Polly.

Still her number one suspect was Zaha, despite Neville's cluelessness. Though never unkind, she had never been particularly warm towards Ginny, or indeed any of the girls in the dorm, and her habit of disappearing and sneaking around unnoticed, not to mention her constant writing in her notebook, set Ginny on edge. Her relationship with Colin seemed to be her saving grace, and yet that too provided a convenient motivation. How many times had Colin been accused of fancying Ginny? Hadn't it been suggested by Gryffindor students for years that they would be a good match? Though those rumours had died off after she began dating Harry, they remained close friends, and hadn't he made plans with her for after the war? Had he even included Zaha in those plans? She could remember him listing people who could join them, and she couldn't remember Zaha's name being mentioned…

Fred and George were quite certain that she was wrong, that it was surely Romilda, consumed with jealousy, who was betraying her. They also suggested Demelza, citing potential Quidditch rivalry, but Ginny shut them down at once.

'Bill will be bringing Mr Ollivander here in a few days,' Arthur informed the family during Fred and George's birthday tea. 'If that's all right with you, Muriel. I imagine things are getting a little cramped in the cottage.'

'Oh, Ollivander and I go well back,' said Muriel. 'I suppose he will be quite pleased to see me; no doubt we have a lot to catch up on.'

'I bet he'll be thrilled,' said George sarcastically, but thankfully Muriel wasn't listening.

'Molly, this birthday cake is far too dry. You must remind me to show you how to bake properly.'

Molly smiled pleasantly, but her eyes remained very cold. 'Of course, Auntie,' she said. 'I haven't had much practice with seven children, so I'd appreciate some pointers.'

'Yes, that's what I thought,' replied Muriel smugly.

'Ten Galleons says Mum murders her before Ollivander gets here,' Ginny whispered to Fred.

'Are you kidding?' he responded. 'I don't see her lasting any longer than tonight. Wait until they both see our birthday firework display in the living room.'


	27. Chapter 27

The library at Prewett House was by far the prettiest room, with an encircling golden-railed balcony allowing access to the highest shelves, and a decorative domed ceiling supporting a glistening chandelier. It was here that Ginny had sought refuge from the shouting. Fred and George's experimentation with their new product range, along with the constant use of Muriel's long suffering owl Agamemnon, had reached breaking point, and, as much as they had their differences, Molly and Muriel had joined forces against the twins.

'-NOT TO MENTION THE DANGER YOU ARE PUTTING US ALL IN-'

'-SCORCH MARKS STILL NOT OUT OF MY RUG! NEVER, IN ALL MY ONE-HUNDRED AND EIGHT YEARS-'

Ginny shook her head slightly and turned back to her book, so bored that she had reduced herself to reading Muriel's _Magical Murders of the 19th Century_ , which was highly gratuitous in its depictions of sex and violence.

Not that there was much better to read. Soppy romances and true crime novels mixed with potions textbooks and historical accounts. Ginny had been rather disturbed to find a small section on Harry, filled with varying accounts of the first fall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and theorising where Harry was now and what the future held for him. Virtually all had been published before he had reached the age of seven. She leafed through a couple, but had been upset by the photos of the happy, chubby baby and the eerily familiar face of James Potter. There, too, were pictures of Lily Potter, that laughing girl Ginny seemed to recognise from somewhere…

Could she really have been friends with Snape? The idea seemed ludicrous, given Snape's clear dislike for… Well, everyone, but especially Harry. She often tried to convince herself that Muriel had gone batty in her old age, but most of her gossip was, although mean-spirited, accurate.

Out of the tall French windows, she could see a quaint houseboat chugging its way up the canal. No doubt the Muggles on board would not be able to see the grand old house, and Ginny had a fleeting, mad desire to run out and join them, take to the rivers and lakes of Britain and live without magic. She fumbled with the bottle cap in her pocket, rubbing it against her D.A coin.

She had received a message from Luna, who had thankfully seemed to realise the need to be careful even with D.A members. She had simply said hello, apologising on the behalf of Dean who had lost his coin. Ginny wanted to sneak over to the cottage so much that on several occasions she had packed her rucksack ready to leave, but she had not yet learnt to Apparate, nor was she of age, and try as she might neither Fred nor George would take her by side-along Apparition.

'It's not worth Mum's wrath.' Fred had told her solemnly. 'We're being cheeky enough as it is.'

The door creaked open, Muriel's screeching yells magnified slightly, and Arthur entered, looking exasperated and tired.

'Oh, hello Ginny,' he said warily. 'Looks like you had the same idea as me.'

'Thank Merlin you're here,' said Ginny. 'I'm going mad with Muriel's trashy books.'

'Well, Ollivander will be here soon,' he said, sitting in the armchair across from her. 'At least that will be someone new to talk to.'

'Can't Luna come and stay too?' asked Ginny. 'Dean too, I suppose,' she added as an afterthought.

'I imagine Dean would find it a little awkward to live here, wouldn't he?' teased Arthur.

'Probably less awkward than living with Harry,' Ginny grinned back.

'I'm afraid we're pushing our welcome as it is. I expect we're only getting away with inviting Ollivander because Muriel likes him. I dread to think how she would cope with a Lovegood.'

'How long do we have to stay here?' she asked miserably. 'I feel so cooped up.'

He hesitated. 'I'm sure it will all be over soon.'

The question was on her lips, but she was not sure she could bring herself to say it. It felt like a betrayal…

'Ginny?' he asked, watching her with concern.

'What if he doesn't win?' she whispered. 'It doesn't feel like we're winning…'

'We'll be all right, Ginny,' he said gently. 'All of us.'

'Promise?'

'Of course I do. The sad fact is that we may be in this house for a long time. But we'll get used to Muriel and we'll all make it through, mark my words, we'll be listening to the twins crack jokes about living here in the years to come. You-Know-Who didn't win before and he won't win this time either.'

Ginny's eyes were drawn to the books about Harry, their spines far more new than most of the books in the library.

'One of those books said the Potters were in hiding from before Harry was even born. Almost two years.'

Arthur shrugged slightly. 'I'm afraid I don't know, I never met them. Hopefully we won't have to be here for that long.'  
'I just want to go outside,' she said unhappily. 'Fred and George got to.'

'Well, when you're of age I expect you'll be able to take a few more risks... As long as you don't let your mother know.'

'We're going to be here until August?' she said despairingly. Arthur shrugged again. The door opened once again, and this time it was her mother who entered, looking just as exasperated as Arthur had.

'Lunch,' she said briskly, over the sound of Muriel. 'And then I think we should start making up one of the rooms for Mr Ollivander, anything to get away from _her_.'

Muriel complained about Fred and George all the way through the spiced parsnip soup.

***

'They're here! They're here!' Excitement burst through Ginny as she saw Bill and the frail old man walking up the muddy road. She shot down the stairs like a bludger, ignoring Muriel's scolding, and bounced around her father as he adjusted his cloak.

'Can I come out too?'

'No, Ginny, I only need to tell him the address then we'll be right back in-'

'Right, so it won't matter if I tag along too, just for a minute…'

'Stay here, Ginny.'

She watched through the open door as Arthur approached Bill and Mr Ollivander, who was leaning heavily on a walking stick as well as gripping tightly to Bill's arm. They spoke for a few seconds before Ollivander blinked a little then focused on the house, looking to the door. Ginny waved frantically, and he broke into a wide smile.

He hobbled up to the house, and Muriel pulled Ginny out of the way. 'Ollivander!' she greeted grandly. 'Wonderful to see you, old boy! Come in at once.'

'Muriel,' he said, kissing her once on the cheek. 'Thank you so much, your kindness knows no bounds…'

'Oh, don't fuss, I know you won't be nearly as much bother as those wretched twins.' She rounded on Bill. 'Do you know the great pains your family have been putting me through? Bangs and smoke at all times of the day, my poor owl being flown nearly to death thanks to their illicit business-'

'It's not illicit!' protested George.

'They're running it out the back room,' she huffed, taking Ollivander's cloak and hanging it on a peg. 'Not so much as a please or thank you, they never asked permission you know-'

They made their way through to the sitting room, where Ollivander was promptly given a cup of tea by Molly.

'-Not to mention the ridiculous _indoor_ firework display they decided to host,' Muriel continued, plumping up her cushion. 'Look, you can still see the burns in the rug, look!-'

'We'll take your case up to your room, Mr Ollivander,' said Fred hastily, backing out of the room with George.

'Thank you, my dear boy, there's not much in it, but I'm still a little tired…'

'I'm not surprised!' said Muriel. 'Where have you been all this time? I was quite sure you were dead, you know.'

'I've been in the company of the Malfoy family,' said Ollivander. He looked at Ginny. 'My dear friend Luna told me to give you her best wishes. She's been a remarkable comfort to me.'

'Is she all right?' asked Ginny.

'Oh yes, such a bright, wonderful young lady. Her resilience has been admirable, and she's doing very well at Shell Cottage, wouldn't you agree, Bill?'

Bill nodded, looking far more relaxed than the last time Ginny had seen him. 'Absolutely. Talking Dean's ear off about various odd animals. Said some lovely words at Dobby's funeral too.'

'It was Dobby then?' said Ginny. 'Ahh, poor Harry, he loved that elf.'

'Dobby was quite the hero,' said Ollivander. 'Rescued us all from that dreadful place.'

'Tell me the whole story, I must know everything,' commanded Muriel.

Ollivander chuckled. 'My dear Mrs Prewett, of course I will, and I am sure you'll enjoy it. But first, I've been instructed to return this to you…'

From his robes, he pulled out a black velvet box, and handed it gently to Muriel. She opened it and gasped with dramatic relief. 'Well thank Merlin for that, I thought my beastly family had stolen it!'

'We were always going to give it back, it's just been difficult lately,' said Bill patiently.

'Oh, I'm so glad to see it, it's been in the family for generations, you know, goblin made-'

'It is a beautiful object,' agreed Ollivander. 'Griphook was quite envious of it, wasn't he, Bill?'

Bill raised his eyebrows and nodded in agreement. 'I was slightly concerned he'd fight us for it.'

'Yes, why _is_ a goblin living with you, Bill?' asked Molly.

'Yes, quite, I want to hear this too,' said Muriel.

'I'll leave Mr Ollivander to tell you all the full story,' said Bill. 'I better get back, Fleur's made dinner.'

'Say hello to everyone from us,' said Molly. 'I miss them all so much, make sure they're eating properly.'

'And give them my love too!' added Ginny.

'I will, I will. Don't worry, they're fine. I'll see you all soon.' He hugged and kissed his mother and Ginny, then bade goodbye to the rest of them; they could hear him shouting farewell up the stairs to Fred and George.

'He's tromped mud all over my floor,' remarked Muriel as the front door closed.

'Nothing a cleaning charm won't fix,' said Molly, with a rather forced cheerfulness. Fred and George quietly entered the room, avoiding Muriel's gaze.

'Now,' said Muriel promptly. 'Tell me everything, right from the start. Spare no details.'

Ollivander chuckled and took a long sip of his tea. He seemed to be enjoying keeping Muriel in suspense. 'Well, as I'm sure you know I was dragged out of my shop some time ago. I did try to put up a bit of a fight, but I'm an old man now-'

'Yes, I'm one-hundred and eight,' interjected Muriel.

'-And there were quite a lot of them, at least a dozen, I would say. It was quite unexpected, I really had no clue what was going on, I supposed it was simply that I was friendly with Dumbledore, but they put a bag over my head and forced a portkey into my hand.'

He took another sip of tea, his fingers trembling slightly. 'You don't need to talk about it if you don't want to,' said Molly kindly.

'Nonsense!' said Muriel. 'He'll have to tell us all eventually, he may as well get it over and done with. What happened next, Ollivander?'

Ollivander sent an appreciative smile at Molly, but continued. 'I knew fairly quickly that they wanted me for something fairly important, because who should I land in front of? You-Know-Who himself,' he said in a dramatic whisper.

Muriel shrieked with excitement, placing a hand over her heart and spilling some of her tea onto the sofa. Ollivander gave a sly wink to Ginny and Molly. 'Oh, what did he look like?' Muriel asked. 'What did he want? Tell me everything, Ollivander, everything!'

'He's quite fearsome to look at Muriel, barely human any more. I remember when he bought his wand, and even then I thought he might become extraordinary… Something has corrupted his soul. He was vicious to me. He wanted my knowledge. I'm not sure if you're aware, but there's a curious connection between his own wand and that of Harry Potter's-'

'Oh?' said Muriel, leaning forward excitably.

'Yes, the wands are brothers, they share a core from the same phoenix, and it causes a few problems, for You-Know-Who that is. Quite simply, the wands will not fight each other properly. You-Know-Who wanted to know how to fix this, and I refused to help him.'

Fred gave a low whistle. 'You're brave.'

Ollivander looked ashamed. 'I'm sad to say that, after much violent persuasion I told him the solution – to use another's wand. I have since apologised to Mr Potter, who was very understanding, especially as sadly the wand I sold to him has been broken.'

'What?' gaped Ginny. 'You're kidding? He doesn't have a wand?'

'He didn't for some time, but has since acquired a new one.'

'How long was he without a wand for?' asked Ginny, swallowing. She couldn't imagine how terrifying that would be, and instinctively her fingers curled around her own wand in her pocket.

'I'm not sure,' Ollivander said. 'He has one now. He seems quite capable. We had a long discussion regarding wandlore-'

'Never mind that!' snapped Muriel, waving a hand to shush Ginny. 'Stick to the story!'

'They kept me in the dungeon of Malfoy Manor, using force and violence to make me reveal my knowledge, make me create new wands for Death Eaters who had lost their own… I did not understand why my original advice had failed, and they punished me for it.' He took another long sip of tea, and they all watched him, entranced.

'Ollivander!' cried Muriel impatiently. 'You can't keep me waiting like this, I am one-hundred and eight, I may not be around much longer!'

'My sincerest apologies, my dear Mrs Prewett. I shall continue,' he said with a small smile. 'Here and there I was joined by other prisoners, though few lasted long. I hope that they were merely moved to Azkaban, but sadly I think their fates may have been rather more horrible. In mid-winter, I was joined by Miss Weasley's friend Miss Lovegood. I truly believe without her I may have given up… The insights into He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's plans and wishes… they both thrill and terrify me. If he is successful, all is truly lost… He will be the most powerful and most terrible wizard in all of history…' He seemed to fade away for a moment, his old, clouded eyes glazing over.

'But Luna helped you?' prompted Ginny.

He jerked a little. 'Oh, yes, she was quite charming. She believed she had been brought there to punish her father for speaking out in support of Mr Potter. She had such a curious way of looking at things; very matter of fact, very honest, but with such optimism as I have never encountered.'

'That will be because she's young,' said Muriel sagely. 'Young 'uns are always foolishly optimistic.'

'It was needed,' he told her. 'We were kept in complete darkness with only one candle, which we lit only to see the scraps that we were fed. It was cold, wet, dreadfully dull… No sense of time passing… Sometimes they would come down to taunt us…'

Ginny thought of her brief night in the Hogwarts dungeons and shuddered. Thank Merlin Luna had the coin and Ollivander to keep her company.

'But wouldn't you know it, just a few weeks ago we heard a tremendous clatter. Shouting and screaming and yelling, and thrown in to join us was Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, Mr Thomas and a goblin by the name of Griphook, all tied together. We helped untie the boys, but Bellatrix Lstrange was torturing Miss Granger upstairs.'

Molly gave a small squeak, and a tear rolled down her face. Ginny closed her eyes, feeling a little sick.

'How on earth did they get there?' asked Muriel, looking flabbergasted. 'How were they caught?'

'I'll come to that,' he said. 'They fetched the goblin to question him too, and then somehow, I'm still unsure of the details of it, a house elf named Dobby apparated into our dungeon. He seemed to know Mr Potter, and he Apparated myself, Miss Lovegood and Mr Thomas, and on Mr Weasley's instruction, apparated us to Shell Cottage. From what I have gathered, Mr Potter and Mr Weasley then overpowered a Death Eater, rescued Miss Granger and Griphook, and were apparated to the cottage by Dobby!'

Muriel squealed and clapped her hands in delight.

'But how did Dobby die?' asked George.

'And why were they torturing Hermione?' asked Ginny.

'Why didn't they just call You-Know-Who straight there to kill Harry?' asked Fred.

Ollivander raised a hand to silence them. 'Much of the story I do not know. Mr Potter, Mr Weasley and Miss Granger have spent much of their time at Shell Cottage alone. Whispering in dark corners, plotting something together in bedrooms… Mr Potter in particular spends almost all of his time alone, taking long walks outside to look out to sea. The elf was dead on arrival, he must have used the very last of his energy helping Mr Potter and Griphook escape… I understand he was stabbed. I don't know how Mr Potter and his friends were captured, but Mr Thomas tells me that he was already the captive of Snatchers when they were discovered, and that thanks to a well-placed stinging hex there was confusion regarding Mr Potter's identity.'

'Well done Hermione,' remarked Fred. Ginny grinned.

'I'm sure you understand that in the confusion we were not listening particularly carefully, but at Malfoy Manor Bellatrix Lestrange seemed highly concerned about how they had come to possess a sword.'

Ginny practically shook in excitement. 'The sword of Gryffindor! The sword of Gryffindor! They've got it? I knew it was important! How did they get it? What did-'

'I'm afraid I haven't the foggiest,' said Ollivander. 'They've all been incredibly private. I am quite sure that they are plotting something. All of them very serious, very quiet. Mr Potter seems constantly lost in thought. They were terrible states when they arrived. Thin, long hair, the boys quite unshaved. They've cleaned themselves up now, of course, but they retain a haunted look.'

'How intriguing!' gushed Muriel.

'You can't tell anyone,' Molly said firmly.

Muriel flushed, scowling dramatically. 'Well of course I know that, Molly! But you can't deny it's quite the story, and it sounds as though we can expect much more!'

Molly went very red in the face, briefly reminding Ginny of a snorting bull, and shook with anger. 'Muriel, I have to say that you're being very-'

Thankfully, she was prevented from insulting Muriel and having them all thrown out by the sudden appearance of a shining silver fox. The vixen patronus leaped gracefully across the room and sat at Molly's feet, before speaking with Andromeda's husky voice.

'A baby boy, Teddy Remus Lupin. Mother and baby doing well, would love to see you.'

The room seemed to collectively take a breath before bursting into excited shouts of delight. Ollivander and Muriel did not know the Lupins, but the news of a new baby still brought a smile to even Muriel's face, while Arthur repeated the word 'fantastic' over and over again.

'A boy, I think that will be five galleons, thank you,' Fred told George, holding out a palm. George pulled a face and dug deep into his pockets.

'Come on, Ginny,' said Molly, rising unexpectedly. 'Let's go and see him.'

'I- What?'

'Come on, hurry up and get your shoes on! I told Andromeda that I'd come, that's why she sent it to me.' Molly was practically glowing, beaming widely and pulling on Ginny's arm.

'I thought we were meant to stay in the house?'

'Never mind that now-'

'Can we come?' asked George hopefully.

'No!' exclaimed Molly, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. 'Poor Tonks, we don't want to overwhelm her! Just me and Ginny for now.'

'Maybe we should wait until we're invited…' said Ginny cautiously, but it was too late, for Molly was dragging her to the fireplace while summoning her shoes.

'How wonderful,' Molly was saying, her eyes glistening. 'Oh, it's been so long since I held a baby- Muriel, where's your Floo powder?'

Muriel's eyes narrowed. 'Behind the clock, but mind you only take a pinch!'

'Yes, yes- Oh, Ginny, don't worry about your laces, do hurry up!' The fireplace was big enough for the both of them, and Molly stood in the grate, gesturing her hand impatiently. Before Ginny was quite sure what was going on, green flames were surrounding them, they were spinning, she could hear snatches of conversation and for the first time in weeks she felt free…

'To be quite honest,' said Molly, dusting off soot as they stepped out of Andromeda's fireplace, 'I just needed to get out of that house. And I think you did too.'

'Thanks for bringing me along,' said Ginny.

'Watch out, dear, you're getting ash all over the rug.' Molly looked around the empty living room, frowning slightly. 'Andromeda?' she called, withdrawing her wand.

'Up here!' came a distant voice.

Ginny had never been to the Tonks household before, so it felt rather awkward walking through the neatly decorated sitting room and up the dark mahogany stairs. She had the distinct impression that she was an intruder, and did her best to avoid touching anything.

They heard gentle mummuring and quiet, breathless laughter from behind a door, which Molly pushed open cautiously.

'Oh…' she breathed. 'Oh, Tonks…'

As Ginny entered, she could see Andromeda sitting at the foot of a double bed, grinning broadly and rubbing Tonks's leg. Tonks was propped up against the headboard with a heap of pillows, looking more exhausted than Ginny had ever seen her, but so happy that it seemed as though there was nothing bad in the world. In her arms, a tiny bundle of blankets, from which a tiny arm reached up and waved.

'Wotcher Molly, Ginny,' said Tonks happily.

'Congratulations, Tonks,' said Molly softly. 'A baby boy, just wonderful, you must be so proud.'

Ginny hadn't thought it possible, but Tonks grinned even wider. 'I am pretty proud, yeah. Look! I made this!'  
She leaned over and carefully handed the baby to Molly, who took him with well-practiced expertise. Finally, Ginny got a good look at Teddy. His tiny, frowning face squirmed and squinted as though he were trying to work something out, a small tuft of dark blond hair clinging to the top of his head.

'He's beautiful, Tonks, so beautiful! Just look at that little nose! Oh, he's the perfect mix of you both.'

Ginny couldn't see it herself. Teddy just looked like a wrinkled potato. But a cute potato nonetheless.

'Well, he's got my talents,' said Tonks. She grinned at Andromeda. 'He had mum's black hair when he was born, but it's gone ginger and now blond. I'm hoping he'll finds an exciting colour soon.'

'He's brilliant,' said Ginny, watching her mother gently sway him. 'So lovely. I don't think I've ever really seen a baby up close before.'

'Don't go getting any ideas, young lady,' said Molly sharply. 'It's all right when you can give them back.'  
Tonks laughed. 'Don't put me off just yet, Molly.'

'He's been good so far,' said Andromeda. 'Barely cried when he was born and quiet as a mouse since.'

'Where's Remus?' asked Molly.

'Gone to Bill's,' said Tonks. 'Is it true Harry's there?'

Molly looked horrified. 'How did you find out about that?'

'Remus heard it off Kingsley, who heard it off Bill, apparently. He's gone to tell them all the good news, and see if Harry will be godfather. He'll be back soon, I expect.' She was suddenly looking anxious, and even a little resentful, watching her son closely. Molly seemed to get the hint quickly, and handed the baby back with a smile.

'Here you go, back to Mummy.'

'Sorry,' said Tonks bashfully. 'He's just so… I can't bear to be apart from him.' She looked down at her son with an expression of pure bliss, softly stroking the side of his face.

'Cherish it while he's small enough to fit in your arms,' advised Molly.

Andromeda made an agreeing noise. 'It's true, he'll grow up so fast. You'll be putting him on the Hogwarts Express before you know it.'

Tonks seemed to be beside herself with happiness, unable to stop smiling, joyful tears threatening to spill from her eyes. 'He's perfect,' she was saying. 'So perfect.'

They heard a door close downstairs, and footsteps rumble up the stairs. 'Where is he?' came Remus's loud voice. He burst into the room, looking giddy and younger than Ginny had ever seen him. 'Where's Teddy? Let me hold him again!'

Teddy gave an odd, hiccupping cry. 'Ssh!' scolded Tonks teasingly.

'Oh, I'm sorry!' said Remus loudly, taking his son into his arms and sitting on the edge of the bed. 'I'm sorry, Teddy!' He beamed down at the baby, who stopped his cries but scrunched his face. His hair shimmered and darkened into a navy blue. They all chuckle and gasped in marvel at this; Ginny could hardly believe it was real. This tiny, magical new life.

'Was he there?' asked Tonks.

'Yes,' said Remus, sounding on the verge of laughter. 'Yes, he was, and he said yes, of course-'

'He'll be wonderful,' said Molly. 'Fantastic choice. How was he? How were they all? Did you see Ron?'

'Yes, yes, they were all there, they all seemed fine, very happy,' Remus said, not taking his eyes off his wriggling son.

'All very pleased to hear our news, and I think Harry was thrilled to be godfather-'

'You've made up then, have you?' asked Andromeda dryly.

Remus nodded, stilling grinning broadly, and allowing Teddy's tiny hand to curl around his finger. 'I'll teach him to play gobstones, and chess, and I'll just get Harry to teach him to fly, I've never been much good at it-'

'Don't I get to teach him anything?' laughed Tonks.

'You can teach him how to change his hair into the best colours. Oh, I hope he's like you, Dora, I hope he's as brilliant and witty and kind-natured as you. But I hope he's a Gryffindor.'

Tonks looked alarmed. 'Absolutely not, he'll be a Hufflepuff. I don't want him running around getting himself into trouble trying to be brave all the time.'

'You ran around getting yourself into trouble,' pointed out Andromeda.

'Yes, well, we won't tell him that,' said Tonks with a wink.

Teddy's hair had lightened into a bright turquoise, at which point Andromeda leapt up to find her camera, excited to see his first 'unnatural' colour. After a soft kiss on the head, Remus handed Teddy back to Tonks, rose, and took Ginny by the elbow out of the room.

'Is he all right?' asked Ginny immediately.

'Your brother or Harry?' Remus asked with a sly smile.

'Oh, Ron's fine, I know Ron's fine, the git. Harry.'

Remus glanced over his shoulder, but the bedroom door was closed, and they could hear Molly fussing over Tonks and Teddy. Andromeda was clattering in a bedroom nearby, most likely still rummaging through drawers looking for a camera. 'Bill says they're planning something with the goblin.'

'The… The goblin?'

He nodded. 'Has he ever mentioned anything about goblins to you before? He may not realise what he's gotten himself into, but he's being very tight-lipped.'

'No,' said Ginny, feeling flummoxed. 'He's never really spoken about goblins, I have no idea what he could be… And the goblin was with Dean, originally?'

'Apparently so.' He surveyed her carefully. 'I'm sorry for interrogating you about him every time we see each other. But you're probably the closest to his mind I can get. It was wonderful seeing him tonight, but he's always been private and- Oh, Ginny! I didn't mean to make you cry, I'm sorry!'

He grasped her shoulder, and she wiped impatiently at her eyes. 'I'm not, I'm not crying, I'm sorry… Just ignore me, I'm being silly-'

A door opened, and Andromeda bustled out, clutching a camera and mumbling slightly to herself. She noticed the pair of them with slight surprise, and her eyes focused on Ginny. 'Everything all right?'

'Yes, fine, thank you, Andromeda,' said Remus pleasantly. Ginny tried to smile reassuringly at her. She looked a little suspicious, but passed them into the bedroom.

Ginny looked back up at Remus, and found the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them. 'They burnt all of Harry's things. Made us all line up outside and watch. Everything he ever owned.'

His face seemed to freeze. 'When was this?' he asked.

'Valentine's day. I didn't tell anyone because… I dunno, I made myself think that they only did it because we annoyed them, and they were trying to rile us up-'

'-You were right-'

'-But that didn't make it any better,' she finished firmly. 'It doesn't make me miss him any less, it didn't stop it from feeling like I was watching him dying-'

'He's not dying,' he said calmly, gripping her shoulder tightly. 'He's not, I've seen him tonight. A little skinny looking, but alive and well. I asked him to be the godfather of my son, and he agreed. He's making plans for the future, and you should to. We all should. That's how you keep going.'

Teddy had begun to cry again, and Remus glanced to the door of the bedroom, but turned back to Ginny.

'I just can't see things getting better,' she whispered helplessly. 'I have these visions of myself stuck at Muriel's for the rest of my life, endlessly worrying about what other people are doing and drinking countless cups of sodding tea while others suffer...'

'You know, I've always known, in my heart, that I would never have a family of my own. Werewolves don't marry, or have children. It's not a written rule, it's just something people take as a truth, it doesn't even occur to them. And there was a time in my life where overnight I lost all of the people that accepted me.'

Teddy's cries grew louder, and the sounds of the women trying to comfort him seemed to float at the edges of Ginny's mind. Remus looked peaceful.

'But look now,' he said, nodding his head to the door. 'There'll still be tough times in the future, I won't pretend you have nothing but happiness, Ginny. But you'll get through it. This will all be over at some point or another, and Dora will go back to work while I look after our children. You'll go back to school and find your own happiness, no doubt with Harry.'

The door opened, and Molly stuck her head out. 'Come on, Remus, we need a picture with dad!'

He grinned, patted Ginny on the shoulder, and went to his son.


	28. Chapter 28

Ginny threw her spoon down with a furious clatter, milk splashing out onto the table. 'How does that make sense after last night?' she demanded, ignoring Muriel's shocked exclamation and staring intently at her mother.

'It just does, Ginny,' replied Molly, barely looking up from her own cereal.

'It doesn't! Bill's place is under more protection than Andromeda's-'

'Andromeda, Tonks and Lupin aren't targets on quite the same scale as Bill's guests, are they?' said Molly.

'So? We can go and see them, but not Bill and the others?'

'You're not going, Ginny,' said Arthur firmly. 'It's too dangerous to go to that house unnecessarily. I'm sure we'll see them all soon, but you can go a few more days without seeing them.'

'I expect you're just tired,' said Muriel condescendingly. 'That's why you're behaving so atrociously. It was a terrible idea to take her, Molly, she's had barely any sleep. When I was her age, my own mother used to make quite sure that I had plenty of sleep, a habit that continues to this day…'

Ginny tuned out Muriel's droning and looked helplessly at Fred and George. 'You agree with me, don't you?' she whispered desperately.

'Don't drag us into it,' said Fred quickly. 'We weren't even allowed to see the baby, you only got to because you're Tonks's favourite.'

'Muriel,' said Ollivander suddenly, peering out of the kitchen window. 'That sycamore tree out there… Do you ever see bowtruckles around it?'

'Heavens, Garrick, how should I know? I can't get all the way over there, I am one-hundred and eight, you know. I can't go gallivanting across the broads to scamper up trees looking for bowtruckles.'

Ollivander nibbled at the last of his toast. 'I should like to have a look at it today. Perhaps young Miss Weasley could come with me? I suspect it would do some good to get out of the house.'

'I'm not sure about that…' said Molly cautiously.

'We'll go too, Mum,' said George. 'Act as a bit of muscle.'

Ginny smirked, but Molly still looked concerned. 'I'll stop nagging about going to Bill's,' offered Ginny. She was desperate to go outside and feel the sun.

Molly pursed her lips. 'Fine, as long as the twins are with you.'

'Why are you looking for bowtruckles?' asked Arthur.

Ollivander looked a little confused as he chewed his toast. 'Oh, it's not the bowtruckles I'm after.'

He did not elaborate, but finished off his tea as Muriel began nattering about some ridiculous story she had read in _The Prophet_.

Less than an hour later, Ginny was standing at the backdoor, pulling on her wellies and looking out at the tree with excitement. It was quite far away, but rather isolated in the sweeping flats of the broads and so seemed to dominate the light blue sky. Fred was stood on the patio, stretching his arms up dramatically to the heavens and breathing in deeply.

'Good day,' he noted, nodding slightly. 'Perfect Quidditch conditions.'

'I bet Muriel's got a few old brooms hidden away,' said George. 'As long as we stayed within the bounds of the charm we could do a bit of two-a-side, maybe rope Dad in?'

'A quick round of shuntbumps at the very least.'

'We're not kids, Fred, we can do better than shuntbumps.'

'Come on, children,' said Ollivander grandly, hurrying past Ginny. 'Enough chattering, let's get there before the sun gets too high.'

Ginny shrugged at her brothers and followed. Ollivander was still heavily reliant on his walking stick; he hunched over it as though he were about to topple forward into a somersault, but, with his eyes fixed on the sycamore, he trundled towards it faster than any of them could expect. Ginny had to do an awkward half-jog to keep up.

The reeds waved lazily in the breeze, the canal glistened and rippled, and Ollivander would occasionally exclaim 'oh-ho' and chuckle. 'Yes, yes, I'm quite optimistic…' he said. His breath was slightly wheezy.

'Are you all right, Mr Ollivander?' asked Ginny. 'We can rest…'

'No, no, onwards,' he said happily. He stopped and pointed his walking stick at the tree. 'There is our prize.'

A small flock of pheasants were startled and erupted from the reeds, flapping away noisily, but Ollivander paid them no attention, continuing on. Underfoot, the ground was becoming squelchy as they approached the canal.

'How are we going to cross?' asked George. 'There's a Muggle village not far away, I don't think we can risk-'  
But before he could protest any further, Olivander had snapped off a long, thick reed, mumbling slightly to himself. He dropped it onto the mud, and, with fumbling fingers, pulled out his wand.

Ginny had not seen magic quite as powerful as this, except perhaps from McGonagall or Dumbledore, and watched in awe as the reed multiplied hundreds of times and wove itself into an intricate and sturdy looking row boat.

'Hop in,' said Ollivander. 'Boys, I think you'll have to go in last and give us a bit of a push…'

They crossed the river in the reed boat, slowly and gently, but guided as though pulled by a rope as Ollivander pointed his wand at the bank opposite. Ginny turned and could see the house, now much further away than she had expected, but looking anciently beautiful and lonely.

They must have looked an odd bunch, a teenager, two identical young men and an old man squeezed onto a tiny boat, but the surroundings were serene and charming, and Ginny found herself smiling broadly as some bird hidden in the rushes warbled loudly.

Once they had disembarked, it was only a hundred yards to the tree, and Ginny, Fred, and George raced ahead, their ginger hair catching the sunlight, Fred and George yelling competitively at each other. Fred won, and he performed a rather rude and graphic victory dance at the roots of the tree while George and Ginny caught up, before they looked up at the underside or the sprawling branches. The susurration of the leaves was soothing, yet also oddly disturbing. Ginny felt a sense of something greater from the tree.

'See any bowtruckles?' asked George

'Not a twig,' said Fred. Green sycamore seeds twizzled down around them in the wind like little winged pods, Ginny reached out and caught one as Ollivander approached.

He threw down his walking stick and rubbed his hands together happily.

'We can't see any bowtruckles, Mr Ollivander,' said George apologetically.

Ollivander waved a hand at him. 'Nonsense, there's one up there, look.' He pointed, and sure enough, they could see the hint of movement, and the slight glimmer of eyes. How he had spotted it so quickly, Ginny had no idea, but he had hobbled forward and was now caressing the trunk of the tree.

'Wonderful trees, sycamores,' he said. 'The Ancient Egyptians believed that the goddess Hathor sat in a sycamore at sunset and created the earth, sun, and everything living… Ordinarily I would harvest the wood at sunset, but it would probably be too dangerous.'

'Are you making a wand?' asked Ginny eagerly.

'I am indeed. Sycamores suit those who are curious, adventurous, and have the intellectual capacity to keep such temperamental wands interested with extraordinary magic… I thought it might rather suit your dear friend Luna, who is in desperate need of a new wand.'

Despite his feebleness, he lifted a skinny leg and placed it on a notch in the tree, pushing himself up. Fred and George rushed forwards to support him, and he clambered up like an ancient squirrel.

He found a resting spot on the bow of a branch, and sat breathing heavily for a few moments. He looked so weary that Ginny expected him to topple over and fall unconscious to the ground, but he reached into his pockets and pulled out a small handful of something.

'I hope your Aunt won't mind that I borrowed some samples from her insect room,' he called down. 'Some woodlice, and even a few fairy eggs…'

'She won't notice,' Fred assured him. 'We've been raiding it since we got here.'

Ollivander smiled and held his hand out flat, raising it up into the leafy branches. Suddenly the tree seemed crawling with bowtruckles, all of them scampering towards Ollivander's hand, snatching a few woodlice then scurrying away again. Ollivander chuckled with delight. 'I suspected this was a powerful tree,' he said. 'The way it draws the eye, the energy around it, the sheer beauty… Wonderful! Wonderful!'

When the insects were gone, he drew his wand again and hesitated. The bowtruckles did not attack, so, with their assumed permission, he grasped hold of a small branch and cut it from the base, mumbling a spell quietly that Ginny didn't recognise. A hint of burning wood sat on the air, but there was no smoke, and soon Ollivander was tucking the branch into his robes. He hopped down from the branch, softening his landing with a well-placed charm, and smiled at them all with satisfaction.

'The core will be somewhat more difficult. Slightly dangerous, perhaps.'

'Brilliant,' said Fred eagerly.

'We won't tell Mum,' Ginny promised.

'Back to the boat then,' said Ollivander. 'And this time, we venture a little downstream…'

Soon, the water was once again lapping gently at the sides of the reed boat, Prewett House passing by them. Ollivander was not looking ahead, down river, but instead staring intently into the rushes, occasionally making clucking noises with his tongue.

'Er… Mr Ollivander? What exactly are we looking for?' asked Ginny.

'I know they're here…' he muttered. 'I saw one from my window early this morning…'

Ginny found herself staring into the reeds too, though she had no idea what she was looking for. She could hear the twins whispering, George worrying that they had strayed too far from the house, when suddenly Ollivander gave a yelp of excitement, and leapt from the boat.

The water was only waist height, so he waded through it, holding his wand and walking stick above his head.

'Mr Ollivander!' she shouted after him.

'Come on!' he called over his shoulder. 'The hunt is on!'

The boat had stopped fast, so Fred and George jumped in, Ginny quickly following them. She was far shorter than Ollivander, so the cold water reached almost up to her neck, and she found herself gasping with shock. Her wellingtons filled unpleasantly, so that each step was heavy and difficult, she was moving as though in slow motion, struggling to keep up…

Then, she saw it. Through the reeds, a long face emerged. Powerful and threateningly beautiful, the dun horse moved virtually silently into the river, slipping into the water beside Fred. The stallion's mane was dark and straggled, his eyes coal black. Fred, entranced, reached out a hand to the horse's neck.

'Don't touch him,' said Ollivander sharply. 'You'll stick to him and he'll drag you down.'

Fred shook his head slightly, pulling his arm back down to his side quickly. 'I knew that…' he said, looking as though he wanted to kick himself.

'What's a kelpie doing in East Anglia?' asked George, staring at the creature which was now beginning to encircle them.

'Introduced some time ago by Gilbert the Gregarious,' said Ollivander. 'He liked to tame and breed them for use in hunting… Watch out, now!'

The kelpie had lunged towards Ginny, snapping at her with his powerful jaws. Unlike a normal horse, the teeth were sharp, predatory, she fell back out of their reach, splashing clumsily back into the water, but the kelpie had been blocked by Ollivander's shield charm. It turned on him, stampeding through the water to reach him, but with a lazy flick of the wand, a nearby reed floated up and formed a bridle and reins around the horse's face.

It slowed to a trot and stopped in front of Ollivander, snorting and shaking its head. Ollivander grasped the reins, still smiling proudly, and patted the kelpie's nose. 'All fine with a careful placement charm. I'll keep hold of him, Miss Weasley, why don't you come and help me harvest the mane?'

Ginny waded forward, now shivering violently from the cold. Following Ollivander's instructions and with numb fingers, she cut a lock of the kelpie's mane. It was slimy like seaweed.

'Wonderful,' murmured Ollivander. 'Now… Why don't you three get up onto the bank before I release him…'

They watched from the bank of the canal as Ollivander vanished the reins and immediately began to hurry away. The kelpie reared and twisted, suddenly taking on a serpent-like form and flailing, before splashing back into the canal and vanishing. By the time Ollivander had, with Fred and George's help, scrambled up onto dry land, the canal was as calm and still as it had been before.

He panted heavily, and leaned on his stick.

'Mr Ollivander?' asked Ginny, with great concern. His eyes were closed, and his brow furrowed.

'Do you have it?' he asked shakily, holding out a wrinkled hand. 'The hair?'

Ginny placed it into his hand, and he seemed to draw energy from it, closing his fist tightly over the already drying strands and breathing in deeply. 'Not the sort of wand material I would like to use,' he said. 'Quite sub-standard, really, but it's the best I'll be able to get for some time, I imagine. I shall tell Luna that when all this war nonsense is over, she may come and I will modify it for her, with a new, better core, if she should so wish.'

He tucked it into his robes, and began to hobble back to Prewett House. They had now drifted so far downstream that the front of the house faced them, its dark green ivy façade sticking out against the yellow and blue landscape.  
Ginny was still dripping wet and shivering; Fred took pity on her and cast a warming charm. 'Good adventure, eh?' he said, grinning. 'Just what I needed.'

'Me too,' she grinned up at him. 'I'm sure Luna will love her wand.'

When they arrived back at the house, Ollivander went straight to the patio, ordering Fred to find him a whittling knife, sand-paper, and 'a strong sherry'. Fred couldn't find a whittling knife, so attempted a rather poor transfiguration of a kitchen knife, but Ollivander was too polite to say anything.

Ginny watched, amazed, as he shaved the bark from the branch, split it cleanly down the middle as though it were nothing, and gently laid a few strands of the kelpie hair onto one of the halves. He took a sip of the sherry, and smacked his lips.

'The problem with kelpie hair,' he told Ginny, 'is that it captures the essence of the kelpie itself. It can never truly be trusted. My father wrestled with it for his entire career, he insisted that it was useful for creative magic, but personally I've seen too many accidents with it… Combined with sycamore it may be quite volatile indeed, but something about Luna's personality just seems to fit…'

'I thought the wand chooses the witch?' said Ginny.

He gave a hum of agreement. 'Indeed, but for those I know well I can usually make a well-educated guess. It's entirely possible that the wand could reject her, which would be unfortunate. I will warn her. But I believe I now know her well enough…'

He gently lay the other half of the branch over the kelpie hair, and withdrew his own wand. His lips were moving, but he did not voice the secretive spells he cast over the wand, as much as Ginny yearned to know them. The wand seemed to solidify before her very eyes, re-growing over the crack where he had split it, rolling smoothly on the spot. He then reached for the knife and expertly carved out a handle, even including tiny hare designs at the base.

Apparently satisfied with his work, Ollivander took another sip of sherry and reached for the sandpaper. 'Ordinarily I have a nice sanding stone,' he said wistfully. By the time he had finished, Ginny's stomach was rumbling loudly, and the smell of lunch was wafting temptingly from the kitchen.

'Just in time,' he said proudly, holding the wand up.

'It's beautiful,' said Ginny. 'She'll love it.' A familiar ache rose in her chest, and she briefly imagined handing it to Luna herself…

'You can send it tonight when Agamemnon gets back,' said Molly, who had appeared at the door. 'Should arrive by tomorrow morning. Now, lunch?'

***

They were delivered news the next day at dinner that Luna had received her wand and had connected with it instantly. Fred, George and Ginny gave a small cheer and a brief round of applause to Ollivander, who ducked his head bashfully but looked extraordinarily pleased with himself.

'She especially loves the hares at the base,' Molly continued, peering at the letter through her reading glasses. 'And thanks Mr Ollivander for remembering how much they mean to her. As for our other guests, they…'

She stopped abruptly, her eyes scanning over the letter. 'They what?' asked Fred.

'They're doing fine,' said Molly.

'You're a rubbish liar, Mum,' said George. 'I'd have thought you'd have learnt a few tricks from us after all these years.'

'I'm not lying,' said Molly, tucking the letter into her robes. She caught Arthur's eye and gave him a meaningful look. He seemed to understand and gave a slow nod.

'What's going on?' demanded Ginny.

'Nothing,' said Molly. 'What would you like for pudding?'

'Let me see the letter!'

'Ginerva!' gasped Muriel. 'How rude!'

'You don't need to see the letter,' said Arthur patiently. 'We have chocolate tart or-'

'If there's nothing wrong, why can't we see the letter?' asked Fred.

'Yeah,' said George. 'At least us, we're adults.'

'There's nothing to see,' snapped Molly. 'Do you want pudding or not?'

'Is there something wrong?' asked Ginny. 'With Ron, or Harry, or Hermione?'

'Certainly not. If you're not going to have pudding, at least take your plates up to the sink.'

Nobody moved. Ginny stared intently at her mother, who was blushing crimson.

'C'mon, Mum,' said Fred quietly. Molly's lower lip wobbled slightly.

'Mum…' said Ginny pleadingly.

Molly burst into noisy tears. 'Oh, my poor R-ronnie! I only just knew he w-was safe again!'

Ginny felt as though her insides had turned to ice. 'What on earth has happened to him?' barked Muriel. 'He's not dead is he?'

Molly gave a howling wail of misery. Arthur threw an irritated look at Muriel, rubbing his wife's shoulders protectively. 'Bill said he'd tell us when they left again. I'm assuming that's what the letter said, Molly?'

Molly sniffed and nodded. 'T-tomorrow, apparently.'

'But then there's still time to see them!' insisted Ginny.

'Absolutely not!'

'Why not?' Ginny exploded. 'You could convince them to stay, Mum! You said it before, we only just found out they were safe, now they're running off and leaving us worried again!'

'Ginny-'

'No, Dad! I'm bloody sick of it, I'm sick of being told to sit tight and let the grown-ups handle it! I don't suppose the letter mentions where they're planning on sodding well going, does it?'

'N-no,' said Molly, squeaking through sobs. 'He just says that t-they've told him… told him that they're going early tomorrow and he's not even allowed to s-see them off! Unable to control herself, she crief out again; Arthur reached into his pockets and pulled out a handkerchief, which she used to dab her eyes with.

'See!' said Ginny furiously. 'Always the bloody same! Don't bother telling us anything, do they? Dumbledore left them a job to do but apparently we're not worthy enough to know-'

'I'm sure it's not like that,' said Arthur.

'It is!' she shouted. She could feel a hot prickling behind her eyes. 'Do you know what the messages have been like lately? On the coins? Since term started again it sounds like Snape and the Carrows have gone all out! Torturing people, chaining little kids up, they've all been hiding in the Room of Requirement by the looks of it, terrified they're going to get killed-'

Molly was now sobbing so loudly that Muriel was staring at her with disgust, and Ginny was having to raise her voice even higher to be heard.

'-And they all keep sending messages to me asking when Harry's going to be back and I can't answer a single one!'

'That doesn't mean you can go to Shell Cottage,' said Arthur firmly.

She gave a sarcastic, scathing laugh. 'In case I'm in danger? I'm in no more danger here than-'

'Not just because of that,' came a sharp voice. To her astonishment, it was Fred who was looking uncharacteristically stern, George looking more sheepish by his side.

'Excuse me?' she said, utterly flabbergasted.

'You can't go,' said Fred. 'I'm sorry, but you can't.'

'Who the bloody hell are you to tell me what I can and can't do? SHUT UP, MURIEL!' Muriel's latest scandalised gasp and outraged exclamation had finally got to her, but her outburst had not helped matters. Looking furious, Muriel had slammed her hands onto the table. Fred, George and Arthur all leapt up, immediately seizing Ginny and dragging her out of the dining room, Molly's sobs and Muriel's shrieking following.

'Get off me!' she said, trying to wriggle out of George's grasp. 'I hate you all! Let me go!'

'You don't mean that, little sis,' said Fred lightly, pulling her into the library.

'Don't "little sis" me!' she spat as they forced her onto the cracked leather sofa.

'You can't act like that, Ginny,' said Arthur. 'We can't afford to get kicked out by Muriel, we'd have nowhere else to go. You'll have to apologise to her.'

'Of course we've got somewhere else to go! I hear Bill's going to have a couple of rooms free by tomorrow,' she retorted.

Arthur sighed and removed his glasses, cleaning them with the sleeve of his robes. Ginny glared up at Fred, who was looking rather bored.

'I thought you'd be on my side,' she said accusingly.

'Yeah, well…' he shrugged.

She felt as though she could burst into tears with the betrayal and fury. She wanted to lash out at him; not since Percy had a family member let her down so much. George had backed away, leaning on the mantelpiece above the empty grate, looking down at the scuffed floor.

'I need to go,' she said. 'I need to see them. Before they vanish again.'

Fred looked at his father. 'She won't stop,' he said.

'Of course she won't,' replied Arthur wearily. 'The three of you have all inherited your mother's stubbornness.'

'Just tell her, Fred,' said George quietly. He looked ashamed, defeated. He was rubbing his missing ear absent-mindedly.

Fred sighed dramatically and looked down at Ginny, who stared resentfully back. Tears were now crawling down her face, but she did her best to look pissed off in a dignified sort of way.

'You need to cut it out, all right?' he said to her. 'The fact is that Bill spoke to me and George and said that Harry's spent his time interviewing Ollivander and the goblin, whispering in corners and plotting, and isolating himself from everyone else. He's working on something, and he doesn't need you there to distract him or persuade him to stay.'

Ginny flushed. 'It's not just because of Harry! Has it occurred to you that my brother and two best friends are there too? I'm not just a silly little girl with a crush, you know!'

'We know that-'

'And what makes you think I'd persuade him to stay? I'm not an idiot, I know he's got to go off and save the bloody world-'

'Ginny, he'd _want_ to stay for you,' said Arthur exasperatedly. 'And as much as I understand how much you want to see Hermione and Luna and Ron, we can't risk it. Don't you think I want to see my son too?' His voice cracked a little, and he rubbed his jaw firmly. 'Don't you think your mother and I have had this same discussion every day since we got here? Of course we want to go. We all do. But we can't distract him now.'

'He's not like that,' said Ginny. 'He won't get distracted, you know how obsessive he gets…'

'He split up with you for a reason, Ginny,' said Fred bluntly. It felt like a punch to the stomach. 'And they've refused to tell Bill anything for a reason.'

'Has… Has _he_ said this?' she asked. Her fingers were trembling.

'No,' said George quickly. 'Ginny, we're not saying this to hurt you.'

'Doesn't matter, she hates us,' said Fred cheerfully.

'She didn't mean it,' said Arthur. 'Ginny, please understand that this is bigger than our friends and family. We all want to see them, we really do, but we need to think about the bigger picture.'

'Why did he tell you lot this and not me?' she asked fiercely. 'Don't give me any of that hurt feeling's shit, I want to know the reason.'

'We knew you wouldn't listen,' said Fred. 'You're still too young.' She had no argument, only tremendous hurt, so, defeated, she left the library in silence and locked herself in her room.

That night, she dreamt that she was in a reed boat on the lake at Hogwarts, peering into the depths to find Harry. But he'd drowned.

***

Bill dropped round the next day at lunch, with the news that Harry, Ron, Hermione and the goblin had all gone.

'Gave them an extra tent as they'd lost theirs,' he said. 'I think they're planning on being gone a while.'

'Did they leave any way to contact them, Bill?' asked Molly worriedly.

'Nah, Ron said they'd probably be doing more of the same. Camping in random places up and down the country. Should be easier for them to get food now it's warmer though.'

Ginny, who was still sulking, said nothing. She had grudgingly apologised to Muriel, who had not accepted her apology and lectured her at every opportunity, but she had not yet forgiven the twins or her father. Now that Bill was here, she couldn't find it in her to forgive him either, for daring to keep her from her friends and family. Who was he to decide what was best for Harry and his stupid quest? She couldn't find the words to say it without appearing like a spoilt brat, so instead shredded her bread sullenly.

'Did they seem confident about whatever they're off to do?' asked Arthur.

'Nope, not at all. And they've taken the last of the polyjuice, not that there was much of it. Probably only enough for one person.'

'They should have come here for more,' said Muriel sanctimoniously. 'I would have made them an entire batch.'

'We'll tell them that next time,' said Fred sarcastically, but Muriel didn't notice.

'Whatever they're planning, I think it's something big,' said Bill. 'They've been sneaking around so much with that goblin, and I doubt it's just working out how they're going to survive on the run. Fleur and I are going to keep an ear on the wireless, see if we can work out if they're behind any news.'

'Marvellous idea,' said Ollivander, who seemed keen to soften some of the tension in the room. 'I must say, I haven't listened to the wireless in years.'

'I don't like the wireless,' Muriel sniffed. 'Odd little Muggle invention, it was never around when I was a girl. There's one in the cupboard in the library, I've never liked the thing.'

'It's existed for seventy years,' said George, bemused.

'That's not very long when you're one-hundred and eight!'

They did not have to wait long for news. It was late afternoon, and they were gathered round the clunky old wireless in the library. Molly had just brought tea and scones in to keep them going, a Muriel was squabbling over the clotted cream when Fred, who had been lying on the floor at the base of the wireless, sat bolt upright. 'Shh! SHH! Everyone shut it!'

'I beg your-!'

'Muriel, please! Shh!'

 _'…_ _Olin Overton is on the scene of the incident now, Olin, what can you tell us about what's happening at Diagon Alley?'_

 _'Well, Rodney, very little is clear at this stage, from what we've been able to establish it appears as though there has been some sort of break in at Gringotts, the situation is ongoing and it is believed that multiple people are injured or even possibly dead, along with the loss of numerous goblins.'_

'Oh, they haven't?' gasped Molly. 'They can't have done…? Gringotts?'

'That'll be why they needed the goblin,' said George grimly.

 _'_ _What do we know of the perpetrators, Olin?'_

 _'It is suspected that Undesirable Number One himself is the leader of this break in, his intentions beyond causing terror are unclear, but it is believed that he may have had insider help from numerous goblins, and- BLOODY HELL!'_

In the background of the news report, screams and a tremendous crashing sounded. Rodney's rather desperate attempts to make contact with the reporter were almost drowned out, and Ginny heard a distant, strangled roar.

 _'_ _Olin? Olin? What's happening at the scene, Olin?'_

 _'A dragon! A blummin' great dragon!'_

 _'We're live on air, Olin, please could you carefully describe the scene?'_

 _'Er- right, yeah, um… As I was saying, Rodney, a large dragon has just crashed through the bank, and has now taken off over London.'_

 _'Has it escaped, Olin? Or deliberately released by Undesirable Number One?'_

 _'It… It appears to be being ridden by three individuals, Rodney. I can't be sure one of them was Undesirable Number One, but… I can still see it, it's flying off, it's a bloody big dragon.'_

'…They stole a dragon,' said Fred, amazed.

'Incredible…' whispered George.

'What on earth are they going to do with a dragon?' demanded Muriel irritably.

'Make me proud, I expect,' said Molly quietly, a small smile playing on her lips.

Ginny couldn't help it. She started laughing. It was fantastic, the best story she had heard all year. Even if it wasn't Harry, Ron and Hermione (though she'd bet her last knut it was), it was such an exciting and brilliant news story that she couldn't help but grin, imagining the stunned faces of the witches and wizards on the streets, Harry, Ron and Hermione flying off into the sunset on the back of a vast dragon like old heroes in Beedle the Bard…

Soon the rest of the family was laughing too - George leapt onto Fred's back, who trotted around the room with his arms outstretched like the wings of a dragon, making roaring noises as George held his wand aloft and yelled 'Onwards! Onwards to victory!'

A silver lynx burst in through the window and landed gracefully at Arthur's feet. It spoke with Kingsley's deep, soothing voice. 'Emergency Order meeting, Diggle's place.'

'We'd better go,' Arthur said quickly, gesturing to Molly. 'No, no,' he said to the twins, who had stopped larking about and had moved toward the door, 'I need you both to stay here. Ginny's still underage, Ollivander is still frail, and Muriel-'

'I am one-hundred and eight!' Muriel announced.

Her parents left, but Ginny didn't mind. The wonderful news had lifted her spirits and made her forget that she was annoyed at the twins, so she now leapt into joining in with them, acting as an angry Death Eater chasing the runaway dragon. Ollivander clapped and chuckled his amusement, but Muriel looked quite stony faced. Ginny supposed that if she was really annoyed, she would have said something.

Fred groaned. 'You're doing my back in, can't you be the dragon now?'

'Sod that,' said George. 'I'm starving, let's get some dinner.'

'You had three scones!' protested Muriel, looking appalled.

'Mum still has some of that roast chicken left over,' said Ginny.

'Chicken sandwiches it is then. Come on, little sis.'

As they went to the kitchen, Ginny dug out her D.A coin.

 _Harry broke into Gringotts. Escaped on dragon._

Smiling proudly, she tucked into her sandwich, giggling with her brothers and speculating on what the real goal might  
have been.

'I'm telling you,' Fred was insisting passionately. 'They meant to nick a dragon all along! They want to make a nice Voldy toastie, and it's easiest with a dragon-'

'Easiest with a dragon?' spluttered George. 'You been on the firewhiskey? You can hardly get a dragon to sneak up on You-Know-Who, look at the size of the bloody thing-'

'You don't need to sneak up if you have a dragon! It's a dragon! I bet You-Know-Who doesn't have a dragon!'

A warm orange glow was flooding across the kitchen from the last of the sunset outside, and Ginny looked out at it hopefully, half-expecting the silhouette of a dragon to soar against it in the distance. 'What do you suppose happened to the goblin?' she pondered.

'Couldn't give a toss,' said Fred, unconcernedly. 'Never got goblins like Bill did. I just hope no one decent got hurt.'

'Nah, they won't have done,' said George.

'How do you know?' asked Ginny.

'Just do.'

Her coin glowed warm in her pocket, and she pulled it out, yawning, expecting yet another excited message about the dragon escape. It had been going crazy all evening.

 _HARRY HERE. REVOLUTION. LUNA, GINNY, DEAN, COME AT ONCE._

She gave a yelp and pushed back her chair, standing up clumsily. Fred and George jumped, looking at her confused, and she waved the coin frantically in front of their faces.

'Look! Look!'

Impatiently, Fred seized her outstretched risk and squinted closely at the coin. The letters were particularly small to fit on. His eyes widened, and then he gave a loud whoop.

'It's on! Show George, I'll send a message to Lee-'

He darted out the room, leaving Ginny and George to celebrate together, George drawing Ginny into a strong hug.  
'Grab your shoes, come on-'

'I'm allowed to go?'

'Course you are! They've asked for you haven't they?'

She could barely fight back the tears of joy.

'Ginny, how do we get in?' shouted Fred from the front door.

'Oh… Er…' She looked back down at her coin.

 _How do we get there?_

 _Hogs Head. Apparate directly in._

'Hog's Head! Straight in!' she yelled back. She could hear him telling his Patronus excitedly.

'Ah, good old Aberforth,' said George, looking over her shoulder. 'He'll sort us out.'

'You know him?'

'Course we do. Helped us with a few hard to find substances, that man.'

They rushed to the front door, before Fred swung out an arm to stop them leaving. 'Muriel,' he muttered.

'Leave it to me,' said Ginny. She shuffled into the library, looking as innocent as possible. 'Auntie…' she said, inexplicably finding herself using a sing-song voice.

'What?' snapped Muriel. She had still not forgiven Ginny's rudeness the day before.

'We've been invited somewhere with friends,' said Ginny carefully. 'We won't be gone long.'

'Where are you going?' Muriel demanded suspiciously.

'To join a revolution.'

Muriel's crow-like face stayed stationary, staring at Ginny with a mixture of contempt and intrigue. 'Mind you tell me every detail when you get back,' she said.

They Apparated directly into the bar. Ginny could smell the dust and stale alcohol almost immediately, though it took some time for her eyes to adjust to the sudden dingy light. Out of the windows, it was already dark as they were so far north, and she suspected the presence of Dementors, which had apparently increased, hadn't helped.

A tall, thin man stood behind the bar, his dirty grey beard tucked into his belt. Now that she knew who he was, Ginny could see the family resemblance, but was unsurprised that nobody had previously made the connection to Dumbledore.

'Not bloody more of you,' he grumbled. 'There's a station just down the road, you know.'

'We're not the first then?' asked Fred.

'No, you're bloody well not, now bog off so I can have a kip.'

'Do you think Dumbledore was like this in the staff room?' Ginny whispered to George. He snorted a little too loudly, and Aberforth sent them a piercing glare. There was a loud crack, and they all spun to see Lee Jordan, staggering slightly.

'Not missed anything have I?' he asked, flashing a grin.

'Right on time,' said Fred. 'Where to, Aberforth?'

'Through there,' he said sourly, pointing to a dark hole in the wall. 'You lot better be the last of it.'

Fred waited until they had all climbed into the tunnel before quickly adding, 'there might be more. I may have sent a message to the Order.'

'You what, boy?'

'Might not have done!'

Sniggering, they hurried down the dark corridor, feeling their way with their hands until Lee was bright enough to suggest using lumos.

'I can see a light!' shouted Fred, who was leading them. 'At the end of the tunnel!'

'Don't do it, Freddy!' said George. 'Don't walk into the light! Stay with me!'

Her excitement got the better of her, and she pushed past Fred, hurrying as fast as she dared in the darkness. A golden square of light was ahead, and she approached it with the hunger of a starving woman, desperate to join them  
in the Room of Requirement…

She reached the end of the tunnel. A huge room filled with hammocks and flags and hundreds of people, but one person in particular drew her eye.


	29. Chapter 29

He was there. Living, breathing, unharmed. Far thinner, far paler and far older than she remembered him, but somehow more handsome, more perfect. She couldn't help but smile, but he looked devastated.

The room was packed with students, all of them jabbering away excitedly, shouting greetings and whooping to see Fred and George, those old legendary heroes, return. There, too, was Ron, and the joy of seeing him even made her forget that he had abandoned Harry and Hermione. Hermione herself stood with them, looking serious and capable; they had all aged significantly in the last few months. Neville stood proudly beside them, looking every bit a natural-born leader and with an excited expression of determination.

'Aberforth's getting a bit ratty,' Fred told him. 'He wants a kip, and his bar's been turned into a railway station.'

Ginny heard a scuffling behind her, and saw Harry's eyes momentarily move from her to the entrance of the tunnel, his mouth dropping open. Ginny turned, and some kind of darkness in her heart arose. There was Cho Chang, with that perfectly punchable face, dropping elegantly into the room.

'I got the message,' she said, holding up her coin.

 _You bloody what, Chang?_ Ginny found it presumptuous at the very least for Cho to muscle in on her, Luna, and Dean's invitation, but she glanced down at her own coin and saw that Neville had once again changed the message, this time encouraging everyone to come.

'So what's the plan, Harry?' asked George, rubbing his hands in eagerness.

'There isn't one…' Harry said, still with a look of devastation on his face. He sounded faint and confused; he was looking around at everyone as though he expected them to vanish at any moment.

'Just going to make it up as we go along are we? My favourite kind,' said Fred, grinning widely.

Harry rounded on Neville. 'You've got to stop this! What did you call them all back for? This is insane!'

'We're all fighting, aren't we?' said Dean, standing close to Seamus. 'The message said Harry was back, and we were going to fight! I'll have to get a wand though-'

'You haven't got a wand?' asked Seamus, looking horrified.

Dean began to explain, but Ginny spotted Ron and Harry whispering together, Hermione listening intently. Trying her hardest to block Dean out, and now Fred and George who had started trying to come up with a cool revolution name, Ginny tried to move subtly towards them to listen in.

'Ginny!' Luna had quietly hurried over to her, and she embraced her tightly.

'Luna, I've been so worried- It's wonderful to see you-'

'It's just lovely to be back,' Luna replied, as though she had merely been on holiday. 'Why are you shuffling like that?'

'I'm trying to listen to…' She gave a subtle nod to Harry, Ron and Hermione.

'You can hear them well from my chair,' Luna whispered back. 'Come on.' She led Ginny to a squashy looking armchair and sat her down, perching herself on the arm.

'…We need them,' Hermione was murmuring. Harry rubbed a hand over his forehead and into his hair, looking unconvinced. 'You don't have to do everything alone, Harry,' Hermione added. Ginny wanted to run up to her and give her a high five.

She saw Harry give a slight nod and mutter something, then turn to the room at large. 'OK,' he called out, and the room immediately fell silent, faces eagerly watching him. 'There's something we need to find… Something… Something that'll help us overthrow You-Know-Who. It's here at Hogwarts, but we don't know where. It might have belonged to Ravenclaw. Has anyone heard of an object like that? Has anyone ever come across something with her eagle on it, for instance?'

He looked hopefully at his ex-girlfriend and her little gang of Ravenclaws, but Luna piped up confidently. 'Well, there's her lost diadem. I told you about it, remember, Harry? The lost diadem of Ravenclaw? Daddy's trying to duplicate it.'

Pride burst in Ginny's chest for her friend, but she was quickly reminded of one of the many reasons she dumped Michael Corner when he rudely rolled his eyes and said, 'Yeah, but the lost diadem is _lost_ , Luna, that's sort of the point.'

'When was it lost?' asked Harry.

'Centuries ago, they say,' said Cho, looking irritatingly attractive. 'Professor Flitwick says the diadem vanished with Ravenclaw herself. People have looked, but nobody's ever found a trace of it, have they?' She looked to her friends, who all shook their heads solemnly.

'Sorry, but what is a diadem?' asked Ron awkwardly.

'It's a kind of crown. Ravenclaw's was supposed to have magical properties, enhance the wisdom of the wearer,' said Terry.

'Yes,' said Luna excitably, 'Daddy's Wrackspurt siphons-'

'And none of you have ever seen anything that looks like it?' Harry interrupted, his voice strained with urgency. There was silence as they shook their heads again, and Harry turned to Ron and Hermione, looking crushed.

'If you'd like to see what the diadem's supposed to look like, I could take you up to our common room and show you, Harry?' said Cho, her voice silky. 'Ravenclaw's wearing it in her statue.'

Harry looked as though he were in pain; he closed his eyes and swayed slightly, before mumbling something to Ron and Hermione. Was it his scar? Was Voldemort close?

'Listen,' he said, 'I know it's not much of a lead, but I'm going to go and look at this statue, at least find out what the diadem looks like. Wait for me here and keep, you know- the other one- safe.'

Cho got to her feet, but there was no way Ginny was going to let her weasel her way back into Harry's life now, not after she'd been waiting all year. 'No, Luna will take Harry won't you Luna?'

'Oooh, yes, I'd like to,' said Luna happily, springing up at once. With satisfaction, Ginny saw Cho sit down again with a look of disappointment, and as Harry and Luna left, she threw Ginny a resentful look in her direction.

With Luna gone, Ginny went over to Ron and Hermione, ready to barrage them with endless questions. But Ron pulled her into a hug.

'I've been so worried about you,' he said in a low voice.

It hit her quite suddenly. Perhaps she hadn't been truly aware of how much she had missed him. 'Ron…'

'You shouldn't have come back here,' he said. He looked at Fred and George. 'Take her home! What were you doing? You were supposed to be keeping her safe.'

'Nice to see you again too,' said Fred.

George looked tauntingly at Ginny. 'Come on then, Ginny, you heard the man-'

'I keep myself safe, thank you,' said Ginny, throwing a warning glance at Fred and George.

Ron shook his head and looked swiftly at Seamus, whose face was swollen and bruised. 'I haven't been able to stand it, the thought of you being here.'

'I'm fine,' she said firmly. 'Why are you guys back here if you weren't planning to fight? Just to find this thing? What are you going to do after?'

'Yes,' said Hermione, who sounded rather overwhelmed. 'Although I have no idea what we're going to do then, oh, Ron, we've been so stupid, why didn't we think this through? We have no idea how to get rid of it, we still have the cup! Oh, and Merlin, we'll never get the sword back-'

'We'll figure something out,' said Ron, looking distant. 'You've done loads of research on it. There'll be a way…'

He took a step away from them, looking down at the floor, his eyes moving rapidly as though reading. Ginny took the chance to hug Hermione. 'I heard you'd been tortured. Are you all right?'

'Had a brief meeting with Bellatrix Lestrange, but I'm better now,' said Hermione with a small smile. 'It sounds as though you've all suffered just as much.'

'I got away before the worst of it, I didn't have anything like that,' she lied. 'When you've found whatever it is, please come back with us to Muriel's place, it's well protected, and there's plenty of room, and-'

'The sword,' Ron interrupted abruptly, grabbing Hermione's arm. 'The whole reason it could destroy them…'

Hermione looked up at his face with a mixture of shock and confusion. 'Yes, when Harry… Oh!'

Ron began to drag her to the door, barely looking at anyone else. 'Where are you going?' Ginny yelled after them.

Ron yelled something back, but the room was filled with excitable and chatty students, so all she heard was "ertle bathroom".

'Did he say something about turtles?' asked Fred.

'No, something about a bathroom, I think? Oh, I don't know. I can't believe he's run off and abandoned us again.'

'Ginny! GINNY!' Demelza was running towards her, Colin hot on her heels. 'I'm so glad you're back, we've missed you so much!'

There was a bright flash as Colin took a photo of them hugging, and Ginny had to blink several times to get rid of the floating purple patches blinding her. 'I've been reading the messages on the coins, it sounds like it's been hell…'

Colin nodded grimly. 'We've recorded it all though, Zaha and I… We're going to publish a book about it when all this is over.' He looked at her, eyes shining with hope. 'If Harry's here, this could be the night, couldn't it? It could all be over soon!'

Ginny hadn't thought of it that way, but with the Order surely on their way and Harry, Ron and Hermione looking so frantic and panicked there was a real possibility that things could escalate. She had come here purely with the intention of overthrowing the Carrows and Snape, but of course that would never happen without consequences…

Her eyes drifted to Neville, who was talking animatedly to a group of Hufflepuffs. They were nodding to his words, inspired and awestruck, and she felt a prickle of foreboding climb up her back.

'…And then we'll go and have that Muggle day out,' he continued happily. Her attention snapped back to him; she hadn't been aware that he'd been talking.

'Wha-? Oh, yeah, I still have that bottle cap, as a matter of fact, I showed it to my dad and-'

She was distracted as George gave a whoop and Fred a loud cackling laugh; evidently one of them, or possibly Lee, had contacted some old friends, as what looked like the entire of the old Gryffindor Quidditch team came swaggering into view.

'Haven't missed the party, have we boys?' asked Angelina, laughing as the twins jumped into the crowd of their old friends.

'There's no party 'til you arrive, Angie,' said George. 'Wood, glad you could make it! Saw you on the cover of _Which Broomstick?_ , you've sold out mate…'

'Didn't you see his pull-out in _Witch Weekly_?' giggled Alicia. 'Most charming smile award.'

Fred's expression was of pure delight. 'Never! My, my, Oliver…'

Oliver looked bashful, but didn't deny the claims. 'Side effect of Quidditch success, what can I say? What's going on anyway?'

'We're just waiting for the Order to show,' said George, checking his watch. 'Oi! Nev! Is there anyone else we need to contact?'

Neville hurried over, his face set in determination. 'Is there anyone else who was in the D.A that's not here?'

'Marietta told me she might join us later,' said Cho.

Ginny snorted. 'Course she will. Has the whole D.A been hiding in here then, Neville?' she asked, ignoring Cho's flash of anger.

'A few people have managed to avoid it,' he said. 'Like, Zaha, and Polly and Dennis and a few Ravenclaws, but they've all been responding to my messages, so they're ready to go when we are.'

'What's actually happening though?' asked Michael Corner. 'Harry and the others just ran off, is there going to be a fight or-?'

The rumbling of footsteps drew there attention back to the tunnel, and Kingsley was leading the Order into the room, looking about in wonder. 'Quite the set up you have in here, kids,' he said admiringly.

'Ginny! Fred, George!' Molly looked furious. 'What on earth is she doing here?'

'I'm old enough to look after myself!'

'You are not! Fred, George, you should both be ashamed of yourselves, I don't know what you were thinking-'

'She's more than proved herself!' said Fred.

'Where's Harry?' asked Remus urgently. 'You said he was here.'

'He is,' said Neville, who looked delighted to see his old teacher again. 'He's just gone to get something with Luna, but then he'll be back, and we're gonna fight-'

'Harry will get back and tell us the plan,' said Ginny firmly. 'I think he actually wanted to be in and out with no one noticing him.'

'How on earth was he going to manage that?' asked Fred, amused. 'Was he hoping he'd just be mistaken for a student that doesn't have a ten thousand galleon price on his head?'

'Speak of the devil,' said George.

'Wh-?' A startled Harry stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at the huge crowd gathered below.

Remus walked swiftly over. 'Harry, what's happening?'

'Voldemort's on his way,' Harry confirmed. 'They're barricading the school, Snape's run for it- What are you doing here? How did you know?'

Fred explained, and Ginny stared up at Harry. Was he really going to face Voldemort tonight? She would be beside him, she promised herself fiercely. She was going to fight in this. She wasn't going to sit at home waiting, not knowing until it was too late…

'They're evacuating the younger kids and everyone's meeting in the Great Hall to get organised,' Harry announced. 'We're fighting.'

Ginny cheered with the others and began to follow the wave to the door, but a hand grabbed the back of her jumper and held her back. 'Get off!' she yelled.

'Absolutely not,' her mother snarled. 'You're going home!'

'I'm not, I'm fighting! Let go of me!' She tried desperately to wriggle out of her mother's grip, but her mother had a fierceness in her eyes that went beyond Ginny had ever seen, and kept a tight hold.

'You're underage! I won't permit it! The boys, yes, but you, you've got to home!'

'I won't!' she finally wrenched her arm out of her mother's vice-like grip. 'I'm in Dumbledore's Army-'

'A teenager's gang!'

'A teenager's gang that's about to take him on, which no one else has dared to do!' said Fred passionately. Ginny's heart swelled.

'She's sixteen!' shouted Molly, her eyes welling with angry tears. 'She's not old enough! What you two were thinking, bringing her with you-'

'Mum's right, Ginny,' said Bill hesitantly. He touched her arm softly. 'You can't do this. Everyone underage will have to leave, it's only right.'

Out of all of her brothers, it had always been Bill, the thrill-seeking adventurer, that she had admired most. His approval would have meant everything to her, and yet here she was, having the same old argument that she'd had so many times this year, yet again having to defend herself against those that thought her too weak, too fragile, too young… 'I can't go home!' she insisted. 'My whole family's here, I can't stand waiting there alone and not knowing and-'

She looked to Harry for support. He had always understood her, he had not seen her as a victim for years. Hadn't she joined him the night Sirius died? Fought alongside him then, and then once more the night Dumbledore was murdered? But the look in his eyes was pleading, his own expression something close to grief. He wanted her out of the way too.

Defeated, she looked over at the tunnel that she knew she would have to walk down alone, leaving others, more capable, stronger… 'Fine. I'll say goodbye now, then, and-'

Her eyes widened in shock. There was a clumsy scuffling and a painful-sounding clunk. To her astonishment, Percy, in what she presumed was an effort to be as quick as possible, had clambered ungracefully out of the tunnel, and fallen onto the floor, sprawled in a heap. He used a nearby chair to pull himself up, straightening his glasses and saying desperately, 'Am I too late? Has it started? I only just found out, so I- I…'

She wondered if she was having a bizarre dream. He stared at them, and they stared back, and Ginny couldn't stop thinking about the time she had thrown parsnips at him. So much had broken between them all, and though he had always been greatly loved by his parents, he had always been different to the rest of them, always irritating and obnoxious… But she'd missed him. But he'd also been the world's biggest prat.

She could hear Fleur and Remus loudly talking, no doubt trying to break the tension, but she was transfixed on her long-lost brother, still just a ridiculous and awkward looking as he had been all those years ago, but finally here, with them. It occurred to her that for the first time in over three years, the entire family was under the same roof.

'I was a fool!' Percy suddenly roared, his shame bursting from him. 'I was an idiot, I was a pompous prat, I was a- a-' he seemed overcome with emotion, gesticulating wildly.

'Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron,' Fred finished for him.

Percy swallowed, looking helplessly at them. 'Yes, I was!'

'Well, you can't say fairer than that,' said Fred, holding out a hand. It were as though he had unleashed something.  
Forgiveness filled Ginny's head, and Molly promptly burst into tears, pushing past Fred to embrace her returned son.  
Percy patted her on the back, looking straight at Arthur. 'I'm sorry, Dad,' he said. His voice sounded small and child-like.  
As most little boys do, Percy had always looked up to his father, and so it was no surprise that it was his forgiveness he sought the most.

Arthur hurried forward too, seizing Percy fiercely and looking up as though to thank the heavens that all his children were here. George asked and Percy answered; the story of his epiphany began to tumble out. Ginny backed towards the staircase slowly. Even Harry had his eyes fixed on the reuniting family. If she could just make it closer to him… He wouldn't dare try and fight her, she could easily push past…

'Ginny!'

Hiding behind Remus had not fooled Molly. She looked up at him pleadingly, and with relief saw sympathy in his eyes.

'Molly,' he said carefully. 'How about this… Why doesn't Ginny stay here, then at least she'll be on the scene and know what's going on, but she won't be in the middle of the fighting?'

That wasn't what she meant!

Molly frowned. 'I-'

'That's a good idea,' said Arthur. He glared at her. 'Ginny, you stay in this Room, you hear me?'

Was there any use in arguing? No doubt she'd have her opportunity to sneak out later. Still feeling highly resentful, she nodded, and watched bitterly as everyone climbed the stairs without her.

'Where's Ron? Where's Hermione?' asked Harry, who was looking increasingly pale.

'They must have gone up to the Great Hall already,' came her father's voice as he passed out of sight.

'I didn't see them pass me,' said Harry worriedly.

'They said something about a bathroom,' she told him. 'Not long after you left.'

He looked bewildered. 'A bathroom?' He vanished for a few moments and then returned, still looking perplexed. 'You sure they said bath-?' His eyes rolled back in his head, and, deathly pale, he dropped to his knees.

'Harry!' she lunged forward and caught him before he toppled down the stairs, but he was barely conscious, his eyes glazed over as though seeing something far away. 'Harry? Harry? Is he here? Harry!'

He seemed to shake himself, blinking rapidly. Then he grabbed her tightly, his face inches from her own. 'Stay here,' he said fiercely. 'Please, Ginny, stay here.'

Then he left her alone, again.

The room was silent. She moaned quietly and threw herself down on a beanbag in the middle of the room, awaiting news, or a new person, or at least for the noise to grow loud enough so that she could argue she was in danger staying in the room…

So Snape had gone… Fled the castle just as he had the night Dumbledore died. She wondered where he had run to, and whether they would ever find him and bring him to justice for all the people he'd murdered and hurt and betrayed… She gazed sullenly at the huge notice board the D.A members had created opposite her, filled with plots and home-made posters and cut-outs from magazines and even a few photos…

Something clicked in her mind, merged her trains of thought. Snape and photos, Snape and photos. She could almost hear Aunt Muriel's voice smugly announcing that Lily Potter had been friends with Severus Snape, she could see the photo in Remus's kitchen of Lily laughing, and then, quite suddenly, she remembered another photo.

She sat bolt upright, gasping as though she had been running. It had been Ron and Hermione mentioning the sword that had done it, it had reawakened the memory of her breaking into the headmasters study, wrenching open drawers and pulling out bundles of papers and letters and a photo… of a laughing girl.

She hadn't recognised her then, of course. She had never seen a picture of her before. She had looked away at the wedding. But now she could see it, as clear as day, the same laugh in Remus's kitchen had also been found in Snape's desk drawer.

Her heart was thudding. She looked up at the stairs to where Harry had been, ten minutes before. Did he know they had once been friends? Had they been close friends? Why would he still be keeping a picture of her?

' _Pretty little thing… Lovely dark red hair…_ '

There was a distant boom, like thunder. Ginny jumped slightly and kept staring at the door. She suddenly felt extremely lonely. Afraid. Maybe the others were right. Maybe she was too weak…

A noise from the tunnel caught her attention, and she spun round, drawing her wand as she did. An elderly witch was gently lowering herself to the floor, carefully steadying a large moth-eaten hat with one hand.

'Er… Hello?'

The witch looked up. 'Well, come and help me, girl! Can't you see I'm struggling?'

'Oh, sorry!' She hurried over and supported the witch, who she now recognised. 'Are you Mrs Longbottom?'

'Yes, I am, and it took me a ridiculous amount of time to get here, that man in the pub was frightful. Have I missed it? What's going on? Where's my grandson?'

'He's gone upstairs, I'm not really sure what's going on, I think people are planning to fight, but I don't know if it's started yet-'

A cold, cruel voice filled her ears, amplified, echoing, and terrifying. She recognised it instantly, and her chest seemed to tighten. 'I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you.'

Ginny looked at Mrs Longbottom with horror, who looked silently back, stony faced.

'I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood. Give me Harry Potter and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded… You have until midnight.'


	30. Chapter 30

A huge tide of panicked students streamed through the Room of Requirement. They snaked in thick lines of sobbing girls and pale-faced boys, bunched together and calling out for friends, many looking in wonder at the colourful room around them. Prefects loudly directed them to the tunnel, forming a corridor with outstretched arms yet barely concealing their own fear, Slughorn dressed in green pyjamas booming reassurances to the room at large, who watched him doubtfully.

'You'll come out in the pub,' he was saying. A tearful bunch of Hufflepuffs looked up at him doubtfully. 'From there, you can Floo home, call the Knight Bus…' He looked around hastily, before shouting, 'does anyone know how to set up a portkey?'

The Montgomery sisters burst into tears at this display of ineptitude, shuffling hopelessly forward towards the bottle neck at the entrance of the tunnel. Slughorn, clearly embarrassed and looking for some other way to help, caught Ginny's eye and waddled over to her.

'Come on, Miss Weasley, you too.'

'I'm staying here,' she said over the cacophony of noise. 'My family told me to stay in this room.'

He looked at her gently, his thick moustache quivering slightly. 'All underage students are to leave the castle, that's the order that's been given out…'

Mrs Longbottom placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder. 'I'm keeping an eye on her, Horace, she's in safe hands with me.'

Slughorn appeared to know Augusta Longbottom by reputation, or had perhaps at one time been on the receiving end of her anger, for he backed away quickly. As he was distracted by Astoria Greengrass (demanding to know why the evacuation was so poorly organised), a small group of students broke away from the crowd and raced towards Ginny.

'Hide us!' hissed Colin urgently.

Ginny swiftly pulled aside a hammock, and the group lost themselves in the tangle of materials draped from the ceiling.

Others spotted this, and, carefully watching Slughorn and the Prefects, followed, one at a time or in pairs. Mrs Longbottom pretended not to notice.

They watched the chaotic scene before them, students desperately trying to move forward when there was no space, shouting out for friends and siblings.

'Youngest should go first!' a Ravenclaw was yelling desperately, pushing her sister forwards. 'Let the first years out first!'

'Sod that, just hurry up!' Zacharias Smith snarled back, elbowing people out of the way. He knocked a third year rather roughly, and they were so tightly packed together that it was like a domino effect; all of them lurching and stumbling, trying to keep upright but falling as though a gust of wind had caught them.

'What nonsense,' muttered Mrs Longbottom. 'You'd never catch my grandson acting so cowardly.'

'I'll be right back,' Ginny muttered, foreseeing that Slughorn would be spending quite some time picking up the collapsed heap of hysterical children.

She ducked under the hammock and pushed away the draped sheets. In this corner of soft colour, it was like a little sanctuary, not hidden from the noise but cocooned out of sight from the chaos. The light from the torches fell through a hanging Gryffindor banner, casting red and gold light over the faces of Colin, Zaha, Demelza, Polly, Ritchie Cootes, Jimmy Peakes, Euan Abercrombie and Jack Sloper.

'Not you, Euan, you're only in third year,' Ginny said sternly.

'I'm really good a duelling though!' he said, flustered.

'It doesn't matter, you're still too young,' said Ginny, painfully aware of her own hypocrisy.

Euan looked to Colin for support, but Colin shook his head. 'Morally I can't do it, Euan, sorry. I need you to keep an eye on Dennis for me. Tell him to go to Demelza's family, and I'll meet him there when I can.'

Euan scowled, but rose and stomped angrily away, wrenching the banner aside noisily.

Ginny turned back to the group. 'I think your best bet is to sneak away as soon as possible,' she told them. 'Make it look like you're looking for siblings or something.'

'Take advantage of the chaos,' nodded Demelza.

'Exactly.'

'What about you?' asked Polly. 'You're not going home, surely?'

'Course not. But I told my family I'd stay in here, and I think I'd better for the time being. I'll be out as soon as I can though. What's going on anyway?'

'We don't really know,' said Jimmy. 'We know there's going to be fighting and that we're meant to evacuate, that's it, really.'

'We can take 'em on,' said Jack darkly. 'After all this time with the Carrows, we're well prepared.'

'I doubt that,' said Colin. Zaha, who had been peering silently through a gap in the sheets, whispered something in his ear. He nodded. 'We'd better go, it's nearly at the end of the line.'

Ginny nodded back. 'Good luck,' she said. They all slipped silently off, and she returned to Mrs Longbottom.

'Is it wrong?' she asked the elderly witch quietly. 'For me to help younger students sneak back into the castle.'

'Yes,' said Mrs Longbottom bluntly. 'But it would be wrong to prevent them from doing something heroic.'

'If any of them get hurt or… or worse, I won't be able to live with myself.'

Mrs Longbottom looked at her very carefully. 'It's remarkable how well we can flourish after terrible things. This time will be no different.'

Ginny did not feel particularly comforted, especially as she watched a group of sniggering Slytherins swaggering lazily to the tunnel, talking loudly about how Hogwarts was due a clean up.

A ripple of annoyed tuts and squeals came from the tunnel. Heads bobbed and students stumbled backwards as though pushed, and Ginny heard a familiar voice shouting.

'MOVE! Get out of my way! Move!'

'Tonks?' Ginny called, and sure enough, fighting her way through the panicking students, the familiar flash of bubblegum pink appeared.

Tonks spotted her, and fought her way over. 'Wotcher Ginny, Mrs Longbottom.'

'What are you doing here?' Ginny asked furiously. 'Where's the baby?'

'Mum's got him for now,' Tonks said reassuringly. 'I'm an Auror, I can't sit at home and miss all the action.' She surveyed the crowded room. 'Where's Remus? What's going on?'

'Haven't the foggiest,' said Ginny. I'm meant to just sit tight in here, apparently.'

'You're not joining the evacuation?'

Ginny scowled. 'Not a chance.'

'Quite right too,' said Mrs Longbottom. 'Now, let's make ourselves comfy. We'll sit here until someone capable comes along and tells us what's what.'

They waited in agony as the stream of students trickled down and vanished through the tunnel. Slughorn waddled out to find Professor McGonagall, and Aberforth Dumbledore came marching in.

'That better be the last of them!' he growled.

'Yes, I think so,' said Ginny.

'I'd like to meet whoever's bright idea it was,' he grunted, drawing his wand and heading to the door.

'He's always been awful, that man,' remarked Mrs Longbottom. 'So grumpy and blunt.'

Ginny caught Tonks's eye, and looked away to hold back her giggles.

'Perhaps we should leave too,' said Tonks, looking hesitantly at the door. 'To find out what's going on…'

'Tonks, you should go home,' pleaded Ginny. 'You gave birth only a few days ago-'

'You what?' snapped Mrs Longbottom, glaring at Tonks. 'Go home!'

'I can't! I can't sit at home not knowing.'

Ginny looked into Tonks's face and saw the same agony there that she felt. 'I understand,' she said. 'But stay in here with me. Remus was the one who suggested it.'

Mrs Longbottom checked her watch. 'Not long before it all kicks off, I expect. I'm going to go and make sure there are no idiotic children stranded in the pub. I'll be back shortly.'

With remarkable strength for such a little old woman, she clambered back into the tunnel and vanished in the darkness.

As soon as she was gone, Tonks pulled Ginny into a hug. Without realising, Ginny began to shake, scrunching her face against Tonks' shoulder to try and stop the tears. She heard a sniff, and realised that Tonks was crying too.

'I'm scared,' she confessed.

She felt Tonks nod, and pull her tighter. 'I am too,' she said. 'I can't stand the thought of losing my husband, or Teddy growing up without a Dad. I couldn't stay at home, I just couldn't. I need to be here, for Teddy's sake. I need to protect my husband.'

'V-Voldemort wants us to give up Harry by midnight,' Ginny said, her voice breaking. 'It will start then.'

'I know, I heard. It will be all right, Ginny.' The pulled apart, and Tonks pressed a hand against Ginny's cheek, looking into her eyes. 'You stick with me,' she ordered. 'You hear? We'll stay in this room as long as we can stand it, and then you stick with me.'

Ginny nodded. Tonks was an Auror. She couldn't think of anyone safer to be with.

Mrs Longbottom returned just a minute before midnight, pulling out her wand. 'We don't want anyone else coming through here,' she said, pointing her wand at the tunnel. The edges of crumbled brick grew like a plant, sealing the escape route.

The magic of the room muffled them to the outside world, but Ginny could sense that the battle had begun. There was something in the air that sent a chill down to her bones, and somewhere far off she heard a rumble. The room gave a tremor underfoot, the great house banners rippling.

She paced, running her hands through her hair and breathing out slowly. Another quake made a small moan escape from her lips. She could barely stand it. Her mind was racing through everyone she knew was in the castle, she couldn't help herself imagining them hurt, or dead… Tonks was fretting too, looking more and more anguished with every shudder the castle gave, her face growing deathly pale.

She heard the door open and she spun round to see Harry, leading Ron and Hermione down the staircase.

'Ah, Potter. You can tell us what's going on,' said Mrs Longbottom briskly.

'Is everyone OK?' she asked, and heard the question bursting from Tonks's lips too.

''S far as we know. Are there still people in the passage to the Hog's Head?'

Mrs Longbottom explained that she had sealed the entrance and hurried off in search of Neville. Harry turned to Tonks. 'I thought you were supposed to be with Teddy at your mother's?'

Tonks looked close to tears. 'I couldn't stand not knowing… She'll look after him- have you seen Remus?'

'He was planning to lead a group of fighters into the grounds-'

Tonks gave a gasping yelp and ran to the door without looking back at any of them.

'Ginny, I'm sorry, but we need you to leave too. Just for a bit,' said Harry, his voice pleading. 'Then you can come back in.'

A terrified excitement rose in her. She was finally liberated. She raced after Tonks, keen to keep her word and stick close to her, but she could hear Harry screaming desperately after her, his voice almost breaking, 'And then you can come back in! _You've got to come back in!_ '

His words echoed in her head but she kept running, following the dot of pink ahead of her, coughing through the dust. Flashes of coloured light illuminated the corridor like lightening, shouts and screams and bangs filled the air. Some kind of instinct made her throw up a shield charm as a window pane shattered alongside her, viciously spitting shards through the smoke.

Tonks had stopped by a window, half crouched by its side, aiming her wand through a missing pane. Ginny skidded to a halt, sliding onto her knees at the base of the window.

'Can you see him?' she shouted up.

Tonks shook her head, white-faced. Ginny hoisted herself up and looked down at the battlements below. She could see dark shapes aiming through the embrasures onto the grounds below, ducking and darting to the side as spells were thrown back up.

Grawp roared his displeasure. Ginny watched as he ripped a wriggling gargoyle from the roof and dropped down over the battlement, lumbering along the grounds batting Death Eaters out of the way as he did.

'Let's hope he steps on some of them!' she heard Ron shout.

'As long as it's not any of our lot!' Tonks said back, squinting at the crowd. The Death Eaters were now trying to scale the walls of the battlements; the students and Order members were fighting back well, but were heavily outnumbered.  
Ginny spotted Macnair clambering up onto the battlement, and sent a Bat-Bogey Hex to the middle of his face.

'Good girl!' came Aberforth's voice. She turned to see him running towards them, a small group of students at his heel. 'They look like they might be breaching the North Battlements, they've brought giants of their own!'

'Have you seen Remus?' cried Tonks as he passed.

'He was duelling Dolohov! Haven't seen him since.'

Tonks's expression turned to one of horror. She stared at Ginny for perhaps a second, then turned and began to run.  
'Tonks! Tonks, I'm sure he's OK-'

Tonks was racing after Aberforth, barely visible through the dust, and Ginny turned helplessly to Harry, Ron and Hermione.

'They'll be all right,' said Harry, though he looked as fearful as she felt. 'Ginny, we'll be back in a moment, just keep out of the way, stay safe- come on!' The three of them ran back the way they had come, once again leaving Ginny alone.

She turned desperately back towards the window, but the smoke was now so thick that she wouldn't be able to be sure who was friend and who was foe-

She ducked as a jet of red came hurtling towards her, bouncing off the opposite wall and back to the window, shattering the remaining glass. She crouched by the window again, and tried to look over it, but once again had to lurch out of the way of a spell. She was too exposed, she was no use…

She raced down the corridor in the direction Tonks had left. Her body seemed to be moving automatically, she was barely conscious that she was running, leaping over mounds of rubble and dodging fallen statues without thinking.  
Alongside her, the portraits were shouting encouragement and war cries, the sound of someone being tortured below mixed with the whistling and boom of an explosion. Down endless flights of stairs, passing Professor Flitwick squeaking detailed instructions to enchanted suits of armour, almost slipping on a dark, sticky substance that was surely blood…

'Demelza!' Her friend was dragging something away from a window.

'Ginny! Do you know how to reverse a stunning charm?'

Ginny looked down to see an unconscious Jack Sloper. She crouched down, and checked his pulse.

'It was just a stunning spell!' said Demelza tearfully. 'I'm sure it was!'

'Yes,' said Ginny. 'Yes, don't worry, it was. _Rennervate_.' Jack moaned and blinked rapidly. 'He'll be all right again in a few moments. Have you seen Tonks?'

'Who?'

'Lady with pink hair.'

'Oh! Yes, actually, I think she went-' Demelza pointed to her right. Ginny thanked her and sped off again, the front doors of the castle were nearly in sight.

A trembling man curled up in the corner caught her eye, dressed in black.

'Stan?'

Stan Shunpike looked up at her, shaking violently. He was pale, and vomit was down the front of his robes. 'I-I don't wanna be here,' he said. There was a loud explosion, and he gave a whimpering cry, closing his eyes and pulling his filthy cloak closer around him.

'I know,' said Ginny. 'Why don't you go home?'

'I-I can't,' he spluttered. His eyes were wild. 'They're gonna kill me. They're gonna kill me. I'm gonna die, I don't want to die-'

'You don't have to be here, Stan. You don't have to hurt people.'

'I can't get out- I can't-'

She looked at him, then back to the huge doors of the castle. They opened onto the grounds, where she could see nothing but destruction. She looked back at him. ' _Stupefy_.'

He fell back into a slump against the wall, and she left, hoping that would be enough to keep him out of the way.

When she reached the grounds, she knew she had found hell. A giant pounded across the grounds, roaring into the sky, kicking away at the people beneath trying in vain to take him down. Death Eaters and Ministry workers and Order members and students were locked in fierce fighting, roaring spells at one another, screaming, shouting orders at their comrades. A suit of armour clanged past her, wielding a heavy looking battle axe, but Yaxely threw a curse which made it implode and crumple as though it were made of aluminium.

'Tonks!' she screamed. 'Tonks!'

Her shouts attracted the attention of Travers, who threw a deep blue spell at her, snarling like a rabid dog.

' _Stupefy_!' she yelled, but he ducked out of the way, cursing at her.

' _Expulso_!'

She ducked, and heard something explode behind her. She threw up a shield charm before he could send more her way, then scrambled behind a large lump of rubble that had fallen from the battlements above.

'C'mere you little bitch!' he growled.

Ginny took the opportunity while he insulted her to point her wand at his groin. ' _Confringo_!'

He gave a howl of pain as he was knocked backwards, and she hurtled forward, leaping over his writhing body. She had finally spotted that friendly flash of pink, and she ran towards it ready to fight alongside her friend…

Tonks was sat on the ground, seemingly unaware of the battle around her. Her shoulders were shaking, she was rocking slightly, wailing up to the sky. A torso and a pair of legs stretched out alongside her, and as Ginny approached, she realised that Tonks was cradling her husband's head in her lap.

'Tonks…'

But she was inconsolable. Screaming up at the sky and stroking Remus's face, which stared blankly to the endless night above.

Ginny tried to tug at her. 'We'll come back for him, Tonks we'll come back… Come on, now…'  
Tonks continued to sob, and out of the corner of her eye, Ginny saw Rowle approach them menacingly. She yelled

' _protego!_ ' just in time to block his curse, but then became locked in battle with him.

'Please, Tonks, plea- _reducto!_ Please, Tonks, we have to move, come on- _Locomotor mortis!_ Tonks, listen to me! _Protego!_ '

She did not think she could hold back Rowle for much longer. He slowly advanced, blocking her spells easily, grinning menacingly.

Tonks lowered her head and kissed Remus. She stared at him for a few moments, and then stood, pointing her wand at Rowle. ' _Avada Kedavra!_ '

Rowle dropped instantly, but Tonks barely paused. She stood over her fallen husband cursing every Death Eater within reach, screaming with fury between her spells.

'Hello, little niece!' came a gleeful voice. Bellatrix Lestrange appeared through the smoke, stepping over Rowle's body without looking at it. 'It's been such a long time…'

Tonks screamed at her, and made a slashing motion with her wand. Purple flames erupted from her wand, but Bellatrix blocked it and giggled manically.

'You'll have to do better than that, Dora, or you'll end up like your disgusting creature of a husband.'

Tonks dodged the cruciatus curse that Bellatrix sent, pushing Ginny roughly to the ground as she did. 'Get away,' she hissed at her, tears pouring from her eyes.

'No, Tonks, I can't lea-'

But Tonks stood up again, with an almighty scream of fury, trying once again to kill, but she wasn't quick enough-

The world seemed to catch light with a flash of green, and Tonks fell heavily onto her husband, her head resting on his chest. Ginny was aware of screaming, but the world seemed silent. A pair of hands grabbed her, pulling her away, dragging her by the shoulders, but her eyes remained on Tonks's pale face, still streaked with tears. Even as the shape of the bodies faded into the smoke, the bright pink of her hair shone out against the grey.


	31. Chapter 31

She was aware now that it was her that was screaming, Tonks's name wrenching itself from the back of her throat and bursting from her lips in a strangled cry, her legs kicking against the ground as she tried to make her way back to her, to shake some sense into her, help her get up…

'Come on, Ginny, come on-' Charlie's strong arms were dragging her away, trying to pull her up. His voice was hoarse and distressed, and when he finally lifted her up and turned her to face him, Ginny could see his tears.

'I'm getting you out of here,' he said forcefully, 'you shouldn't be here, we told you-'

She pulled him down as a jet of green light flew over their heads. Bellatrix Lestrange was cackling tauntingly, Ginny twisted to try and send a stunning spell, but the awkward angle made her miss. A stinging hex hit her cheek and she cried out, rolling away to escape a cruciatus curse, but then Bellatrix swiped her wand again and though she did not feel the pain, a sudden wet warmth at her hip made it clear that she was bleeding.

It did not matter, however, as Grawp came thudding into view, roaring for Hagrid and swiping at Death Eaters who stood in his way, drawing Bellatrix's attention long enough for Charlie and Ginny to scramble up and flee. He pulled her through the crowd, but she could barely run from her sobbing, so he was half carrying her, ducking as a sixteen-foot troll swung his club lazily at them, zig-zagging between his legs.

Dean hurtled past them, carrying a lump of rubble in his hand. He leaped onto a Death Eater from behind, pushing him to the ground before bashing him repeatedly in the head. Ginny looked back in time to see him, panting heavy and covered in blood, grabbing a wand from a limp hand. Colin was there too, snapping pictures between spells, expertly using the fallen body of a giant to shelter him.

They reached the courtyard, but so had the Death Eaters. Kingsley stood at the entrance, bellowing at people to fall back, his eyes widened as they approached and he cast a shield charm behind them; Ginny chose not to look back at what she had just escaped.

The courtyard was burning, half collapsed on one side. A dark, hooded figure burst through the flames, but Ginny could only think of Tonks's face. Charlie cast a jet of silver and the Dementor was launched back, but pursued them as they reached the door. Neville appeared, his face set in determination and cast his Patronus like a burst of lightening.

'Get inside!' he shouted at them. She looked back once she had reached the middle of the entrance hall, and saw Order and D.A members following, pursued by Death Eaters, Dementors, trolls, acromantula…

Colin had been throwing spells over his shoulder as he ran, but suddenly stopped and turned when he reached the middle of the courtyard, crouched down by the fountain and leaned back, his camera against his face. The flashes illuminated the onslaught as they approached, but they got nearer and nearer, and he still hadn't moved…

Neville was dragging in an injured student, the Order members were firing spells into the crowd and gathering at the edges of the heavy wooden doors, ready to pull them close. Ginny ran forward, for she could see what was to happen before Colin did. In later years, she wondered if his camera lens made him believe that they were further away than they really were.

A flash of green and he slipped backwards, as though simply losing his footing. Zaha tried to run to him just as the Order were closing the thick wooden doors, Ginny reached her and held her back as she screamed, watching him vanish under the feet of the stampeding Death Eaters. Ginny turned Zaha, who beat helplessly on her chest, trying to break free. She had never looked more fragile; her hijab had slipped off and her face was pale, she screamed his name, shouting for him as though he would respond.

'Zaha…' said Ginny, keeping a firm grip of her arms. She knew that Zaha would run out there, wrench open the doors the Order had forced shut, run to him in the hope that something could be done…

'Get off me!' Zaha shouted hoarsely, glaring at Ginny in accusation. 'I need to get Colin- Get off me, we don't need you! You never trusted us! Leave us alone!'

'I do-'

But Zaha was struggling to get the door, being held closed by a mass of people, and Ginny could hear her whispering his name, growing steadily louder as she grew ever more desperate. 'Why didn't you fight back?' she was asking him, as though expecting an answer. 'Why did you do that? Why did you do that?'

Colin's death had sent Ginny into a shock. She was now numbed from the kind of horrified grief she had experienced after Tonks. She looked to the front doors, where the Order and DA were pushing against it with their full body weights, desperately trying to keep it closed as it shook and jerked, no doubt due to the efforts of a troll on the other side. It would not be long before the entered the castle, though she knew there were already small groups of Death Eaters on this side of the walls.

She placed a hand more gently now, on Zaha's shoulder. 'I'm sorry,' she said. 'I really am. Let's get you out of the way, yeah? Somewhere more peaceful.'

Zaha shook her head. 'He's just outside, he's just outside, I can get to him-'

Yet even as she protested it did not take much effort to guide her gently away, to the small ante-chamber where Ginny had waited to be sorted all those years ago. In here it was quiet, the muffled bangs and shouts from the entrance may as well have been the usual comings and goings of the school. Zaha looked as though she were about to throw up, and wrenched herself away from Ginny before leaning against a wall, taking deep, gulping breaths. Ginny turned away, realising that she was no comfort to Zaha, and opened the door to look into the entrance hall again. She remembered Colin's hissed request to hide him, to smuggle him back into the castle, and she hated herself.

'Have you seen the others?' Ginny asked Parvati as she approached. They could hear the grunting cries of the Order members holding the doors shut, and the splintering of wood. It was too late to help. It wouldn't be long.

'A few of them,' she replied. 'I saw Polly and Demelza outside but I can't see them now-'

'MOVE!' a deranged looking McGonagall came running down the stairs, wand held aloft. The crowd at the doors swept aside immediately, and she shouted something unintelligible. A huge golden net sprang from her wand and stuck to the door like a cobweb, absorbing into the wood. The troll still thudded, but the doors would hold for longer.

McGonagall looked at them all furiously. 'While you've been holding out a troll, the Death Eaters have breached the castle through the various holes in the walls! They're roaming the corridors!'

They collectively paused for half a second, before scattering in various directions. She ran up the stairs to quickly find herself in the midst of another battle, one that had presumably been going on while she had been outside.

She had not questioned where the rest of her family or other friends had been, but here some of them were, her father locked in battle with a masked and hooded man, her mother assisting Professor Flitwick in duelling Yaxley, Luna seemingly pirouetting as she cast a rope of flames which lashed out at the Death Eaters surrounding her, Demelza firing stunning spells from behind an overturned table.

'Ginny!' yelled Angelina, kicking a Death Eater backwards as she hexed him. 'The twins are upstairs, they've been looking for you!'

Ginny nodded at her and kept running, unsure of where her feet were really taking her, but she had lost Charlie now, and she was still numb, all she could think of was finding her family, every last brother, and seeing Harry, if only to know that there was still breath in his lungs.

The next corridor she came onto saw George, apparently greatly enjoying himself as he levitated a Death Eater out of a broken window and let him drop. 'Evening, Ginny,' he said cheerfully. He was with Lee, Ernie and Seamus, all of whom were leaning out of the windows and shooting stunners at something to the right of them. 'Blimey, you're bleeding!'

'I'm fine,' she said distractedly. 'It's not too deep. What are you all looking at?'

'Bloody big spiders,' George informed her. 'Crawling up the walls, Ron must be pissing himself.'

'Where is Ron?' she asked urgently, standing aside as McGonagall raced past them, muttering something about tables.

'No idea. How's everyone else? Everyone ok?'

'I-' A lump rose in her throat, and her hand trembled.

'No one in the family, I hope?' She shook her head, and he gave her a bracing smile. 'Well then, just don't tell me,' he said. 'My spirits are quite high at the moment.'

They heard an almighty explosion a floor or two above them, they all glanced up before Lee stuck his head out the window again and gave a low whistle. 'There's a massive hole, all the spiders are going for it.'

'Golly, I hope there's no one up there,' said Ernie, looking alarmed.

'Well, there'll be _someone_ up there-'

George stopped mid-sentence to admire Professor Trelawney, who was shrieking at the top of her voice as she carried a monumental pile of crystal balls, along with a lumpy bag which Ginny assumed had more in. 'To the entrance hall!' she shouted at them. 'There are filthy, evil people all over it! I have weapons!'

'Excellent!' said George, squaring his shoulders. 'Come on, Lee. Not you, Ginny.'

She had no time to do anything but scowl as they hurried off, but decided to head further upstairs. If there were people battling those spiders, they would need help. Ernie came with her, but Seamus, perhaps eager to avoid the spiders, had followed George and Lee.

'Who's winning, do you think?' Ernie asked as they headed towards the stairs.

'I don't know,' said Ginny distractedly. 'You haven't seen Harry and the others have you?' He shook his head, and her heart faltered. 'Maybe we should head up to the room of requirement, that's where I last- OI!'

Draco Malfoy was hurtling towards them, looking like a terrified rodent. Ginny sent a tripping jinx his way and he landed with a smack on the floor, whimpering and shaking.

'Brought your mates into the castle again, did you?' she snarled.

He gave a pathetic squeak; his face seemed to be covered in soot. 'N-no, I'm on your side-'

'Oh, spare me!' She spat on him, and to her delighted astonishment, Ernie gave him a kick. Malfoy scrambled up like a deer on ice, then raced away towards the great hall.

She was tempted to give chase, but Hannah Abbott came up some nearby stairs, panting heavily, her face streaked with tears. 'Are you all right?' she asked her.

Hannah nodded, breathing deeply. 'I'm fine, I'm fine, I just… I think I might have just k-kill…'

'Hannah, it's war,' said Ernie in a deep voice. 'Whatever you've done, it was the right thing to do.'

Hannah gulped. 'Yes, but-Oh! You're bleeding! Here, let me…'

Before Ginny could protest, Hannah had pulled a small bottle from her pocket, lifted up Ginny's t-shirt and started generously splashing the brown liquid onto her. 'That will do for now,' she said knowledgably. 'But you'll want to see Madam Pomfrey later, because I've had to water it down, loads of people have been needing essence of dittany this term, I've been carrying it around everywhere.'

'You're amazing, Hannah,' said Ginny, awed. Though still a rather nasty looking wound, the gash on her side appeared to have stopped bleeding.

There was a great roar of fighting and screams; another battle had become visible just a few flights up, and without thinking the three of them raced towards it. Adrenaline had set in and the thoughts of Colin, Remus and Tonks were fuelling a blood lust in Ginny.

' _Sectumsempra!_ A Death Eater fell in a shower of blood at her cry, he toppled backwards over the bannister and fell down through the stairwell. Beside her, Hannah gave a shriek, but kept pace.

When they reached the top of the stairs, they could see that it was mostly students here, rushing back and forth along the dusty corridor calling out for friends while fighting.

'Spiders! Spiders!'

Ginny sent a stunner, saw the great hairy legs jerk and twitch, the fangs glistening-

' _Incendio!_ ' yelled Hannah. The spider seemed to scream as it was set ablaze, the corridor was briefly illuminated and Ginny saw Percy, sitting straddled on top of someone, punching them relentlessly in the face.

'Percy! Perce!' She ran over and looked down, but there was so much blood that she couldn't tell which Death Eater he was hitting. 'Percy, you've done it, he's dead! Percy!'

'Kill him,' Percy was growling. 'Fuck, fuck, fuck… Kill him… Kill him…'

Ginny tried to seize his arms, she span to face him and crouched down. The battle seemed to fade away as she looked into his face. He was sobbing. Something cataclysmic had happened.

'Percy…?'

'He killed him,' Percy said, choking. 'The bastard, he killed him, I know it was him.'

'Killed who?' A terror was taking hold of her. Percy sobbed harder, he could barely sit up straight from it, he tried to look away from her eyes, but she seized his face, now crying herself, because she was sure that whatever he said it would wrench her heart from her chest…

'Percy,' she repeated firmly. 'Percy, who did he kill?'

'F-F-F…' his trembling mouth formed the rest of the word, but there was no sound. There was a ringing in her ears. She was swaying. The force of nearby spells was blowing her hair, but she didn't care if she got hit.

A rough hand grasped her shoulder. It was Ernie. 'Ginny!' he shouted. 'There's too many of them! We need to get away!'

She shook her head at him and turned back to Percy. 'Where is he?' she asked fiercely. Percy just sobbed at her. 'Percy, where's Fred?'

He jerked his head down the corridor, where she was sure there were more spiders. 'W-we put him in an alcove-'

She rose and walked as though in a dream into the darkness. She could hear others calling after her, she was sure they were following, and the spiders that scuttled towards her were blasted away, stunned, set on fire, she was not sure if she was doing it or others, but it didn't matter, they were simply background noise to the true horror of that corridor…

She saw him. It was shadowy, but her eyes were drawn to him instantly. The lopsided smile that had always been gloriously infectious now haunting, disturbing, obscene. He had never frightened her before, not truly, but he sat there like a physical embodiment of a nightmare, and now she wanted to run and scream and close her eyes and perhaps none of it had really happened.

Hannah approached him and pulled two fingers over his eyes, shutting them softly, pushing his jaw up so that his grin faded into a more natural expression. Ginny supposed he looked like asleep, but knew that he wasn't really. There was something inherently wrong, and she felt cold inside.

They heard footsteps, and turned to see Oliver Wood. 'The Death Eaters are all retreating,' he said. 'They're leaving the castle.' He spotted Fred and swore, his eyes immediately filling with tears. 'Which… Which one… Who is that?'

'Fred,' said Ginny. Her voice felt far away, and not her own. Suddenly, the same cold voice she had heard in the Chamber of Secrets all those years ago, and the Room of Requirement earlier that night, sounded again, echoing through the broken castle.

'You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery… Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one.'

Ginny though of Colin, and of Remus, and Tonks, and now… Fred's laugh haunted her.

'I do not wish this to happen,' continued the high, cold voice. 'Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste. Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat, immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured…'

He then spoke directly to Harry, and Ginny knew that the threats he made played into Harry's sense of morality, knew that they would work… She counted on Ron and Hermione to make sure that he didn't do anything stupid.  
When the voice stopped, they stood in silence for a moment, surrounded by the ruins of the corridor. 'Well,' said Oliver, sounding braver than he looked. 'You heard the man. I'll carry him.'

He lifted him, as gently as he could, though Ginny was still worried that he was hurting him, and carried him through the rubble, easing his way carefully down the stairs, over fallen bodies and smashed statues. Ginny still felt as though in a daze, and she was fairly sure that by tomorrow things would be back to normal, that none of this had really happened…

The doors of the entrance hall had apparently burst open while she had been upstairs, and the corpses of spiders and a troll were being dragged aside by volunteers. They met Kingsley there, who saw Fred and covered his face with trembling hand, before seemingly pulling himself together. 'We're putting everyone in the Great Hall,' he said. 'Anyone who's up to it is searching the grounds for others.'

They entered the Great Hall, and saw that the dead were being laid out in a row in the centre, while all around them sobbing survivors reunited and hugged and searched for friends. She could see her parents, Bill, Fleur and Charlie, all standing tearfully with Percy. Molly was shaking her head rapidly, her eyes wide and desperate and disbelieving, and then she saw Oliver, carrying Fred, and she collapsed to her knees.

Ginny stopped in the doorway, watching from afar. She couldn't bear to be near them, couldn't face hearing their grief so closely. Oliver respectfully backed away as soon as he had lay Fred down, and the family immediately surrounded him. Oliver walked back to the doorway, though Ginny's gaze had not been drawn from her huddled family.

'I'm so sorry,' he said, clapping her on the shoulder. 'I'm going to head outside and help.'

She nodded dully and waited a few moments before she too, turned around, intent on doing something until this nightmare was over. She began to head to the doors, meaning to follow Oliver, but a familiar laugh from the stairs caught her attention, and she froze, staring up at them.

George, Lee and Seamus were jogging down the stairs, looking weary and roughed up, but laughing gently, Seamus mumbling something about gallows humour. George spotted Ginny, and his face broke into a wider grin.

'All right, Ginny? Did you hear Lord Chatty too then? Why does he talk about himself in the third person? If he's not careful, people will start to think he's mentally unstable.'

Lee and Seamus chuckled, but her heart seemed to stop, or possibly it was no longer there. His smile faltered a little at her unchanging expression, of which she assumed was one of dull despair.

'I heard about Colin,' he said gently. 'It's rough, I'm sorry, Ginny.' She found herself shaking her head slightly at him. Lee and Seamus seemed to realise something was wrong immediately, their expressions turning to ones of dread, but George kept smiling gently.

'We've all fought really well though, I bet you did too. Did you get to say any cool one-liners? I did loads. Where is everyone? I need to swap notes-'

'George,' she said, and her voice came out as a croak.

His smile was now frozen, and something had clicked behind his eyes. 'Ginny? Has… Has something else happened?'

She couldn't bring herself to move, or speak. Her mouth opened slightly, and now she remembered her conversation with Percy, could see the same thing happening, but she didn't want to be Percy, she didn't want to be the one to tear out George's heart, she wasn't strong enough for this-

'Ginny? Is it someone in the family? Ginny? Ginny!'

She was now struggling to breathe, she was shaking from it. Her voice was gone, along with her breath and her heart.

'Not Mum or Dad?' He was looking at her urgently, but then he looked to the Great Hall and perhaps he could see the family huddled, maybe he could see that it was not his parents…

'Ginny? Talk to me! Not Ron? Bill? Charlie? Percy?'

She stared at him, her eyes were filling with tears but still she was rooted to the spot. He stared back at her, and gave an odd, shallow laugh, grinning again, though it didn't meet his eyes. 'That's not funny, Ginny,' he said.

'George…' she whispered, tilting her head and shaking it gently, her jaw trembling. 'George… I-I'm sorry…'

He laughed again, though now his eyes were shining, and he was backing away from her shaking his head, his face just as pale as Fred's had been. Lee gripped his arm to stop him from falling, and George used the momentum to launch himself into a sprint, rushing to the Great Hall, to the huddled family…

Ginny closed her eyes as she heard the howl. It was like a fatally wounded animal, the most terrible noise she had ever heard, a memory worse than seeing Fred himself. She broke down, wailing herself, she wanted to scream but it felt as though her lungs were too cold.

'Come on, Ginny,' said Lee, who was weeping too, 'you should be with them. Come on…' He lifted her, she hadn't realised that she had sunk to the ground, and walked her back into the hall, where she joined the rest of her broken family.


	32. Chapter 32

'Ginny.' Hermione embraced her tightly. Ginny leaned into the hug, feeling rather unsteady on her feet. 'He was so brave,' whispered Hermione. Ginny swallowed.

She looked back down at her brother's body, barely visible under her mother, who was crying across his chest, and George, who knelt in shock at Fred's head, his pale hands stroking over the cold skin.

Beside him, Remus and Tonks had been laid down by volunteers, their hands close together. They did not look as fearful as they had outside. Their faces had been softened into peaceful expressions. They might have been asleep, but of course they weren't, and Ginny found herself focusing on Remus's pocket which she knew held a picture of a baby.

Harry was there, looking from Fred to Remus and Tonks and back again, his face pale and despondent, almost unfocused.

'-We're going to be all right, despite it all-' She became aware that Hermione was still talking, and looked back into her brown eyes. 'We have to keep going, we have to push forward-'

'I don't want to push forward,' Ginny replied. Her voice sounded faint and far away. 'I want to go home.'

She could still hear Hermione talking, whispering words that she supposed were supposed to be comforting, but all Ginny could think of was returning to the Burrow, where the knitting needles clacked even through the clamour of the busy household, the orchard where the air smelt sweet and she could play Quidditch with her brothers, all of them, all of them there, both twins… When she got back, her, Fred and George would make hot chocolate and make fun of Ron, they would do impressions of Percy, in the summer they would go into the village and dare each other to do magic in front of muggles, and when it came to Christmas time again, Fred would lift her onto his shoulders so she could reach the top of the tree.

George was now kneeling over Fred, pressing their foreheads together, he was saying something but she couldn't understand what as his voice was unintelligible through the sobs. Fred would probably tease him about it later, it was surely something George would never live down.

She turned to look at Harry, hoping to perhaps share a knowing look, but he wasn't there. She turned, but Ron was with Percy, Bill and Fleur, murmuring lowly to them and wiping at his face. Hermione was still talking, Ginny was sure to herself now.

'Where's Harry?' she asked quietly.

Hermione sniffed. 'He's over- Harry?' Her eyes widened, and she spun on the spot, raising her arms as though ready to grab him. 'Harry? He was right there! He was right…' She hurried over to Ron, and grabbed his arm. 'Where's Harry?'  
'I thought he was with you?'

A familiar feeling of dread engulfed Ginny, but she was somehow separate to it. 'He was standing over there,' she said, pointing to the other side of Remus and Tonks.

Ron swore loudly, and the hall had been so quiet with whispering and grieving people that many turned to look.

'He wouldn't have done,' squeaked Hermione. 'Ron, he wouldn't have.'

'Of course he bloody would,' said Ron, looking furious. 'You know what he's like.' He began to make his way through the crowds, pulling people aside. 'Harry? Harry? Have you seen Harry?'

Hermione followed, scanning the anxious faces of the battle-weary students and Order members, shrieking his name with increasing terror. Now most of the hall was watching them, or else looking around as though expecting to spot him among their ranks.

Molly had sat up, and now her face went back and forth between her fallen son and the crowds, though she could not find the strength in her to shout Harry's name, instead choking out wails and trembling. Arthur rose and helplessly watched Ron and Hermione make their way around the hall; Ron had now become quite rough, pushing through large groups and stumbling over people sitting on the floor.

'The stupid bloody idiot, where is he? Harry!'

'Has anyone seen him?' cried Hermione, who was now aware that everyone was watching them.

In the silence, a nervous looking girl rose her hand. 'H-He went up there,' she said, pointing to the marble staircase.

'Maybe he went back to the Room of-'

But Ron had already grabbed Hermione by the arm, and now they were racing out of the doors and up the stairs, their shouts for Harry echoing back into the hall. The room was entirely silent, save for occasional sobs and whimpers, and people glanced uneasily at one another as they wondered if Lord Voldemort would truly keep his promise…

Ginny felt numb. Ron's words rang through her head and she knew they were true, but that Harry had gone deeper into the castle rather than the forest was an odd comfort. She looked back at Fred, and knew that whatever decision Harry had made, there was more loss yet to come. She gritted her teeth, and felt angry. She was not sure at who, but there was a rage in her and she felt envious of Percy, who had been able to beat a Death Eater to death.

She crouched on the floor, her arms up and over her head, trying to contain the fury inside her before it came out as a howl, before she cursed someone or went to the forest herself. She felt arms pull her up, and realised that it was Bill, but whatever he said to her she didn't know, because she had begun growling and wailing, struggling out of his grip.  
How dare Harry leave like that? Without a word?

'Listen to me,' ordered Bill. 'Listen, Ginny! We need to be strong. For-'

'I don't have to be anything for anybody!' She looked around, bodies were still coming in, would there even be room for them all? 'I'm going to go help,' she said.

'Stay here, we need to stick together-'

'Well Ron and Harry have both ran off,' she shot back. 'I can't stand here and do nothing, that doesn't help me be strong, I need to go and do something-'

He could see that it was true, and he released her, falling back to be hugged by his wife. Ginny turned and left the hall, desperate to leave her grief behind her. Her feet kicked at emeralds on the floor, the flames on the torches made them glisten and cast light like curses.

The courtyard and the grounds beyond were still in the darkness. She could see Colin slumped over by the fountain, but could not bear to approach him yet. Neville was ahead, as were others, including Oliver Wood, and they seemed to be bringing in the bodies furthest away first, perhaps anxious that they would not bring them all in within an hour…

She walked across the cobbles, slippery with blood, and onto the damp grass of the grounds. Weaving in and out of the bodies, she worked as though she were someone else, her mind was blank to everything, unable to think or be in pain. She helped Kingsley lift a body onto a stretcher he had conjured, speaking to him professionally, as though it were her job to collect the fallen, like some kind of twisted mortician, briskly commenting that a leg was still missing and that she'd look out for it. Soon, she was one of the only ones left as the lawn emptied, and the volunteers moved steadily closer to the castle.

She saw a stirring on the grass ahead, and heard a rattling breath. She walked calmly towards it. It was still very dark, so she was very close before she saw the long blonde hair and her face, as ghostly and pale in the moonlight as it had been that first awful night back at school.

'Polly,' she whispered, crouching down beside her.

Polly gave a gasping breath, flecks of blood burst from her lips and her blue eyes were glassy, dancing over Ginny's face as though she knew it would be the last thing she ever saw.

'Oh, Polly…' Ginny whispered again, looking down her body. She was bleeding heavily, it pooled beneath her like silk, contrasting against her skin so vividly that she looked like porcelain.

'I'm sorry,' said Polly.

'Don't be silly, you've been so brave. I'll get someone's attention and we'll take you back up to the castle, it'll be all right-'

'No, Ginny, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry…' she repeated it over and over. The stars were reflected in her rapidly moving eyes. 'It was me, it was me, I didn't realise and I'm sorry…'

Ginny waited patiently, brushing a strand of Polly's hair aside. It was matted with blood. 'It's all right…'

'He works in Muggleborn Control, Cormac, I didn't realise, that's not what he told me…'

'Try not to worry,' said Ginny. Polly's breath was sharpening, her chest rising and falling quicker than ever. Ginny was desperately trying to remember any healing charms she knew, but there was nothing that could help injuries this severe.

'He said he loved me, I believed him, I really did, he made me feel so special…'

'I know what that's like,' said Ginny gently. 'I understand.'

'He told me he could keep my mother safe,' said Polly. 'She's muggleborn. He told me… He told me he was doing his best because he loved me so much… But there was only so much he could do… If I could just give him interesting information, he could keep putting Mum to the bottom of the pile… I kept it to you, I'm sorry-'

'I was an easy target,' said Ginny. 'And the most exciting sort of information. I understand.'

'I didn't want to get lots of people into trouble,' said Polly. Her tears were now mixing with blood, pink streaks sliding down her cold face. 'I thought, one person instead of many… And I thought if it got really bad, Potter would come and rescue you…'

'I know, it's all right.' She looked around, hoping to see someone she could shout for, but the grounds were as still as the grave.

'I'm sorry-'

'It's all right, I forgive you. I understand.' It was the truth. Ginny thought of Tom Riddle, the manipulative power he had held over her, and though she had been a naïve eleven-year-old then, she knew what a great and terrible power love was, and Polly loved both Cormac and her mother. She thought of Percy, relentlessly punching the Death Eater until he was still, and Xenophilius Lovegood whose paper had aligned with the Ministry once his daughter had been taken, and Tonks killing Rowle, and the picture of the laughing Lily Potter in Snape's desk, whether it was perhaps her rejection that had twisted Snape into such a dark an evil man.

'I just wanted to protect my mother,' Polly whispered to the sky. 'I just wanted Mum to be all right… I want her here… I want my mum…'

'It's all right,' said Ginny, though she did not believe it. 'It's OK. We're going to get you inside.'

'But I want to go _home_ ,' whispered Polly. 'I don't want to fight any more!'

Ginny thought of the Burrow again, and of Fred, and her eyes filled with tears yet again. When she spoke, her voice had broken, she struggled to keep it as calm and comforting for Polly as possible. 'I know. It's going to be all right.'

Polly's eyes were slowing, growing unfocused and sliding up to look at the stars. Ginny shifted to sit more closely, grasping Polly's cold hand and squeezing it tightly. 'It's going to be all right,' she repeated, hoping that if she said it enough it would become true. Polly's hand was going limp.

She felt as though someone was behind her, and she looked around into the night, but it was only the breeze that had brushed by her. She looked back to Polly. Her eyes were now still, shining like glass.

She allowed herself a groaning whimper of grief, clutching Polly's hand to her chest and rocking slightly, full of hate and love and fear, all dulled by the crushing sense of grief. She sat up straight, wiped her eyes and took a deep breath of air. It stabbed at her lungs.

She picked Polly up. It was not easy, for although Polly had always been slender and delicate looking, she was heavy in death, and one unsupported arm fell to the ground, skimming the wet grass as she was lifted. She stumbled back towards the castle, often dropping Polly slightly, half dragging her, sobbing and hating herself for treating her friend with such indignity.

She saw a figure running towards her, and hoped it was Harry, but Dean's familiar face appeared, and without a word he seized Polly's legs, silently helping Ginny take her to the Great Hall. The room was not as silent now, there was a restless humming in the air of concerned conversation and words of comfort.

They laid her down near the doors, for there were so many bodies that there was now very little room, and Professor Sprout suddenly appeared by her side, casting a blanket over Polly to hide her injuries. A cry of pain, and Demelza had run over, Zaha slowly following clutching Colin's camera, and Ginny could see that all though they had guess that their friend had been lost, nothing had prepared them for seeing her body, lying like a broken doll under the enchanted ceiling. Ginny turned away, terrified they would ask her about how she had found her, unable to confess that she had sat there while Polly had died and done nothing…

She returned to her family, and saw that Ron and Hermione too, had come back to the hall. Hermione was crying relentlessly, leaning against Fleur who had a comforting arm wrapped around her shoulders and a serious expression.

Ron was pacing, rubbing his hands over his nose and eyes and into his hair, speaking urgently to everyone but Molly and George, who sat still with Fred.

'-Looked everywhere, he must have gone to the forest-'

'That girl said he went up the stairs, he must still be in the castle-'

'He's got a sodding invisibility cloak!' Ron snarled.

'But then why would he have gone up the stairs in the first place?' asked Percy. 'Did you check the library? He might have to try and find something out-'

'I've known Harry a long time,' said Ron. 'He won't be in the fucking library.'

'What about the dungeons?' asked Charlie.

'Why would he be there? I'm telling you, the silly bastard's gone to give himself up, you have to let me go and-'

'You're not going anywhere,' said Arthur loudly, his voice shaking. 'You're going nowhere near that place.'

Hermione gave another squeak, and the tears flowed even faster down her cheeks. 'He can't have done, Ron, we haven't finished the… the thing we have to do.'

'He has,' said Ron, and he looked quite mad, gripping his hair with both hands. 'I know he has, I know him!'

'I've been out there, Ron,' said Ginny. 'I didn't see him, so-'

There was an awkward cough, and they all turned to see Neville looking cautiously at them. 'Erm… Could I talk to Ron and Hermione?'

'You can say it here, Neville,' said Ron, his face set in a hardened expression.

Neville nodded, casting his eyes over the gathered family, his eyes resting briefly on Fred and wincing. 'It's just that, Luna said you were still looking for Harry, and I just thought you should know that I've seen him, he's all right-'

Hermione gave a cry of relief, and Ron close his eyes, leaning his head back. 'You have?' said Hermione joyfully.  
'Where is he? What's he doing?'

'I dunno, he said there was a plan, but he said that the snake needs to be killed.' They froze, and he looked awkwardly at them, clearly hoping for further explanation. 'He told me to do it in case you two didn't.'

The entire family was watching Ron and Hermione, for their relieved expressions had returned to anxiety as swiftly as they had came. Hermione shuffled forward to stand by Ron, still searching Neville's face.

'Where was he?' asked Ron.

'By the doors,' said Neville, who had realised he was revealing something awful to them. 'Heading out to the grounds. Don't worry!' he added hastily, as their faces turned pale. 'I asked him if he was trying to give himself up and he said of course he wasn't-'

'Well obviously he'd say that!' shrieked Hermione.

'He said he was OK!' protested Neville, but he looked unsure. 'I was suspicious at first but he seemed so calm-'

'He can't have,' said Ginny. She could hear her heart thudding in her ears. 'He can't have, he would have passed me…' Something must have changed in her expression as she remembered that odd sensation she had assumed was a breeze, because Ron was looking at her with urgency, he had gripped her shoulders and was staring pleadingly into her face.

'But he didn't pass you?' he said. 'You didn't see him?'

'Ron,' said Hermione, her voice breaking. 'You said it yourself, he has his cloak…'

'He did have it,' said Neville. 'He was wearing it before he spoke to me, and then-'

Ron gave a great roar of frustration and terror, releasing Ginny and spinning to face Neville, pointing at him furiously. 'When was this? I swear to God, if I reach him before he does something stupid, I'll beat the shit out of him for trying to be such a bloody hero.'

'About half an hour ago,' said Neville. 'I didn't think it was a big deal, I thought you were in on his plan-'

Hermione burst into tears and Ron turned to his father. 'Let me go,' he said. 'Let me go and get him back.'

Arthur shook his head, looking as distressed and devastated as everyone else. 'You can't Ron, it's too late-'

'IT'S NOT TOO LATE!' Ron looked frantic, he burst towards the door, but Bill and Charlie leapt forward to hold him back, each of them grabbing an arm as he squirmed and tried to keep running. The entire hall was watching now, Professor McGonagall was walking towards them, and the realisation began to hit Ginny, not as a wave but as a powerful river, so strong that she felt she could be knocked over by the current.

Ron gave up, sinking to the ground in silence, Bill and Charlie both still keeping a firm hold on him. His face was blank, expressionless. He looked up at Ginny, and she stared back, both of them knew, deep in the hearts, that-

'Harry Potter is dead.' The cold voice reached her very bones, the room seemed to freeze. 'He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that he is gone.'

Ginny was shaking her head at the lies, for they had to be, there was nothing truthful that ever came from that serpent's mouth…

'The battle is won,' continued the voice, gleeful and sinister. 'You have lost half your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman or child will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle, now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live, and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together.'

Professor McGonagall, her face stern, thin-lipped and composed, walked through the silent hall to the doors. Ginny was among the first to start walking after her, Ron and Hermione to her side, and she soon heard the quiet patter of hundreds of feet following.

Professor McGonagall pulled open the heavy doors and went out to the front step. It was her harrowing scream that frightened Ginny the most, she found herself being pulled by McGonagall's grief outside, to see for herself.

The world seemed to crumble away from beneath her feet. She knew she was screaming Harry's name, she knew Ron and Hermione were screaming too, and soon so where the crowd around her, but she was surely falling, spinning in her own despair. Bellatrix was laughing, delighting in their agony. Black spots were appearing at the corner of her eyes, she feared that she was close to fainting, but she kept her eyes fixed on Harry. Hagrid held him like a baby,  
cradled in his arms, but his head hung backwards off Hagrid's arm, his glasses barely clinging to his face, his arms out straight but hanging down to the earth, just as Polly's had done.

She was still screaming, and so were the crowd, a volley of abuse and horror, Ginny felt that if she shouted loud enough, Harry would get up, he had to, she would do anything…

'SILENCE!' cried Voldemort, raising his wand. A loud bang accompanied a flash of white light, which seemed to hit them all, and Ginny found her tongue forced still. Voldemort grinned at them manically, his great snake draped over his shoulders, red eyes glinting in the gradually lightening darkness.

Hagrid, sobbing great, fat tears, laid Harry gently on the grass at Voldemort's orders. He looked different to the others in the hall, nowhere near as peaceful, she wanted nothing more than to run at him, fling herself over his chest, beg him to open his eyes so that she might see them once more-

Voldemort paced in front of Harry, his face alive with malice. 'You see?' he said, gesturing a hand to Harry. 'Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!'

Disgust and rage rose in her throat like bile, she had never thought it was possible to hate like this, her love for Harry had now been mixed so thoroughly with grief and anger that he had been stolen from her that she felt as though she could take on the world. She now understood, more clearly than ever, why Tonks had refused to move, and had instead stood her ground to take revenge.

'He beat you!' shouted Ron, with such viciousness that she was sure he felt the same. The charm broke, and Ginny began yelling too, the place where her heart used to be aching with a pain beyond anything she had ever felt, worse than the cruciatus, it was all she could do to scream Harry's name, over and over again…

A more powerful charm silenced her once again, and Voldemort looked at them all greedily, relishing in their devastation. 'He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds,' he lied. 'Killed while trying to save himself-'

'Liar!' shouted Neville. He burst out of the crowd and ran forwards, Voldemort flicked his wand lazily and Neville fell to the ground, his wand spinning out of his hand and caught easily by Voldemort, who tossed it aside.

Voldemort laughed cruelly, and slowly advanced upon Neville, who stared resolutely back. 'And who is this?' he said softly. 'Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?'


	33. Chapter 33

There was no crueller sound than Bellatrix Lestrange's laugh. It echoed through the grounds like the caw of a crow, and her expression as she looked down at Neville was one of pure, unhinged, delight.

'It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord!' she announced. 'The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?' Ginny had never hated her more, hated the way she taunted people, hated her perverse delight in the suffering of others.

'Ah, yes, I remember,' said Voldemort, as Neville scrambled to his feet. Neville, despite his vulnerability, stared resolutely at Voldemort, no hint of fear in his eyes. 'But you are a pure-blood, aren't you my brave boy?'

'So what if I am?' said Neville, and Ginny felt a fierce rush of pride at his bravery.

'You show spirit, and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom.' Voldemort's voice was like cold silk, the snake around his shoulders shifted slightly, raising her monstrous head.

Neville looked furious, disgusted at the offer. 'I'll join you when hell freezes over! Dumbledore's Army!' he cried, raising a clenched fist.

The crowd cheered, and on instinct Ginny did too, she could feel her heart growing back, filled with passionate bloodlust and fury. Voldemort face darkened at the realisation that his silencing charm had broken, and when he spoke he sounded more dangerous than ever.

'Very well… If that is your choice, Longbottom, we revert to the original plan. On your head… be it.' He rose his wand, his face, like thunder, fixed upon Neville, his red eyes burning in the dim light. Over their heads, something dark and misshapen flew through the air, landing in Voldemort's outstretched hand. He shook it out, and Ginny recognised it as the Sorting Hat.

Then, with horror, she watched as Neville was immobilised, and the hat forced on his head. She tried to rush forward, as did others, but the surrounding Death Eaters raised their wands and she seemed to bounce back, as though an invisible barrier had been raised between them.

Voldemort was speaking, but Ginny was deaf to him, her ears rushing with revulsion and fear. All she could do was helplessly watch Neville as the hat was set aflame, and though screams rent the air, nobody was able to reach him. A tremendous thundering and the shriek of war cries momentarily distracted her, and she tore her eyes from Neville to see Grawp charging toward the giants, swiftly followed by the herd of centaurs, shooting arrows into the crowd of Death Eaters.

It seemed that yet another battle was upon them, and though the prospect of losing yet more loved ones was heinous, Ginny's anger was unquenchable, and she gripped her wand tightly, ready to kill. In the confusion, perhaps Voldemort's attention was briefly distracted, for Neville was able to break from the body-bind curse, and Ginny too, found that she was able to rush forward, heading eagerly into the fray, Luna appearing at her side.

She was ready to curse at a Death Eater who had his back to her, but a flash of silver caught her eye, and she turned in time to see the head of Voldemort's snake spinning to the ground, bouncing heavily at her master's feet.  
Voldemort screamed in fury, Ginny was quite sure she would see another flash of green and lose yet another friend, so looked away to Harry, hoping to stand guard over his body as Tonks had done to Remus.

He wasn't there. 'Where is he?' she shrieked to Luna. 'Who's taken him? What have they done with him?'

Her eyes searched the crowd, but Hagrid had noticed too, and now he roared Harry's name. Others looked around in confusion, chaos reigned, Ginny dodged the stamp of a giant's foot and looked to Ron and Hermione, to see if they had picked Harry up, but Ron was dragging Hermione away from the skirmish, pulling her towards the castle.

'Come on, Ginny!' yelled Luna, seizing her hand. Together they retreated to the castle, desperately trying to aim jinxes and curses at Death Eaters amongst the tightly packed crowd. Ginny wanted desperately to hurt them, make them pay, but was terrified of hitting someone she knew…

A Death Eater was ahead of her, and she began to shout the sectumsempra curse, but before she could, he crumpled, though she could see nobody around that looked as though they had just sent a stunner in that direction. She stumbled into the Entrance Hall, her feet standing on what was likely the face of a Death Eater, nearly falling but seizing onto the robes of a man she recognised from Hogsmeade, who helped pull her up.

'Kill them!' Voldemort was screaming to his followers, backing into the Great Hall. 'Kill them all!' He sent a curse at Seamus and Hannah Abbot, Neville gave a cry of pain, but a shield charm appeared seemingly from nowhere, and, without questioning it, they ducked under his arms and ran into the Great Hall.

House elves were wielding knives and squealing threats, flashes of light and bangs punctuated the screams and shouts, people were grabbing at friends and family, trying to drag them aside, away from the fighting, but for what? There was no place of safety now.

A centaur reared, shooting an arrow into the chest of a Death Eater who gave a wail of pain and fell to his knees, but Voldemort, now standing in the centre of the hall, sent a jet of green, and the grey centaur fell with an almighty crash. Others stumbled over the dead that still lay on the floor, some dragging them aside, tearfully trying to get them to a place of safety even though they could no longer be hurt, she saw George and Lee carrying Fred to a corner, before spotting Yaxley and charging towards him.

Flitwick was duelling Dolohov, and Ginny ran forward, her heart pounding with desire to punish him for what he had done to Remus, but something like a rope lashed at her. Blood poured down her face, and she spun, throwing up a shield charm just in time to block Bellatrix's second curse.

Bellatrix giggled, her lips pulled back over her teeth like a vicious dog. 'We got your boyfriend, little girly,' she sneered, dodging Ginny's hex. 'We're going to hang him above the doors for everyone to see.'

' _Crucio_!' Ginny screamed, and she was so surprised at Bellatrix's howl of pain that she lifted the curse almost immediately: Bellatrix had barely sunk to her knees.

This had enraged her, and now she sent jinx after jinx, coping easily when Hermione and Luna appeared by Ginny's side. All of them battled the witch with fury, but even Hermione was no match to Bellatrix's expertise, nor her viciousness.

'Filthy Mudblood!' Bellatrix screeched, sending a curse at Hermione. Hermione retaliated, white faced but determined, resolutely trying to disarm Bellatrix, who blocked her between further attacks on Ginny and Luna.

A bright green light came hurtling towards Ginny, and she ducked just in time, feeling the power of it blow through her hair-

'NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!'

Molly stampeded towards them, throwing of her cloak and growling with rage. Bellatrix spun and cackled, delighting in a new challenge.

Hermione moved to attack Bellatrix while her guard was down, but Molly gave the three girls a fierce look. 'OUT OF MY WAY!'

Ginny had never seen her mother like this. Her usual kindly face was contorted in wrath, the power of her spells matching Bellatrix's, as they snarled and clashed at each other like animals. The stone floor around them glowed and cracked with the heat, Ginny found herself backing to the wall, transfixed with horror at the duel, only occasionally glancing over to where Voldemort battled McGonagall, Kingsley and Slughorn. She realised she was breathing heavily, terrified, frozen on the spot.

Neville and a handful of other students rushed forward to help Molly, but she shouted them down, and they backed away and stood with the rest of the crowd, lining the walls and watching the two battles. Hermione gripped Ginny's hand.

Bellatrix was taunting her mother, glorying in Fred's death, and Ginny wanted to fight alongside Molly and attack Bellatrix herself, but she could see a dangerous power in Molly's eyes, and knew that she was fighting to kill.

'You-will-never-touch-our-children-again!' Molly screamed, sending a burst of light after each word. Bellatrix simply laughed, her mouth wide in exhilaration, she stretched out her arm to point directly at Molly's face.

' _Avada Kedavra!_

The beam of green light hit Bellatrix's heart, and she toppled backwards ungracefully, landing on the floor with her arms outstretched like a fallen angel. Molly lowered her wand and looked down at Bellatrix with disgust. Ginny wondered if it felt better, once you had avenged a loved one's death.

Voldemort screamed, and Ginny turned in time to see McGonagall, Slughorn and Kingsley being blasted aside, before he turned his wand on her mother-

' _PROTEGO_!'

The familiar, protective voice struck at her heart, and suddenly he was there, standing in the middle of the hall. She wondered if she had died. Perhaps the curse that brushed her hair had killed her, and she had watched her mother avenge her death, and now she was with him again.

But Hermione was shouting his name, and there were gasps of astonishment around the hall, they could not all be dead. Her eyes filled with tears, she had thought she had lost him forever, but now he was back, and the emotion that filled her still felt like grief, but seemed also to be joy. She could have collapsed, screamed, others certainly were, but she was stunned into place, her eyes drinking him in.

Voldemort stared at Harry. There was a cold fear in his expression. Silence fell around the hall immediately, and they all watched, encircling Harry and Voldemort like a gladiators ring.

'I don't want anyone else to try to help,' said Harry, his voice ringing through the hall. They had begun to circle each other like wolves, Voldemort's astonishment only just hidden behind his murderous gaze. 'It's got to be like this,' Harry continued. 'It's got to be me.'

Ginny knew it was true. There was something in the air that seemed to tremble with meaning.

'Potter doesn't mean that,' hissed Voldemort. 'That isn't how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?'

Ginny's heart was thudding, she would have gladly rushed forward to act as a shield, but Harry seemed so calm, so in control, that she knew it was unnecessary. 'Nobody,' he said. 'There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good…'

Voldemort's expression might have appeared to others as calm as Harry's, but, as much as it disgusted her, Ginny knew this dark wizard. She had been inside his mind. Inside his thoughts. Acted out his evil. Though she could not remember most of it, she knew instinctively that the way his red eyes had widened, the tense way he moved, the hiss of his voice, meant that he was afraid.

'One of us? You think it will be you, do you, the boy who has survived by accident, and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?' Still they circled, a dangerous tension building between them.

Hermione was still gripping Ginny's hand, and Ginny could hear her ragged breaths. Ron was the other side of her, his arm had stretched around Hermione and was clenching Ginny's shoulder. All of them together feared for and trusted Harry, lost in their confusion of anguish and relief.

'Accident, was it, when my mother died to save me?' said Harry. Though his voice was soft, it sounded through the silent hall as loud as a shout. 'Accident, when I decided to fight in that graveyard? Accident, that I didn't defend myself tonight, and still survived, and returned to fight again?'

Ginny found her breath catching in her throat, squeezing Hermione's hand tightly. Ron had been right, that he had given himself up, and yet here, miraculously, he was. Part of her was still too afraid to believe it, afraid that he would be snatched away again, but even if that was so, she had been able to see him, one last time.

'Accidents!' screamed Voldemort. 'Accident and chance and the fact that you crouched and snivelled-' he spat the words venomously, but Harry did not falter. '-Behind the skirts of greater men and women, and permitted me to kill them for you!'

Harry's expression was something like patience. He continued to circle, his feet treading lightly, wand carefully directed at Voldemort, while he waited for his enemy to finish his accusation. When he spoke, it was with careful measurement, as though placating a misbehaving child. 'You won't be killing anyone else tonight. You won't be able to kill any of them, ever again. Don't you get it? I was ready to die to stop you hurting these people-'

'But you did not!'

'I meant to, and that's what did it. I've done what my mother did.' Tears were running down Ginny's face, she could not stop staring at Harry. Had he really done that? Accepted death as Lily Potter had done?

Still they circled, and still they spoke, of things she didn't understand and events she hadn't seen. They spoke of love, and despite Voldemort's cruelty Harry still remained composed. Harry spoke of Snape, and the pieces of the jigsaw she had collected over the past year fell into place, and clearer than ever she remembered that torn photo of the laughing Lily Potter she had found in the study. They spoke of Dumbledore, and of wands, and Harry even asked Voldemort to show remorse. Nothing seemed to throw Voldemort as much as this, and even Ginny wondered what on earth Harry was playing at, but beside her Hermione gave a small, quiet gasp of realisation.

'Oh, Harry…' she whispered, barely breathing the words. Ginny wanted to turn and ask her what was going on, but Harry and Voldemort were still talking, still circling, talking of wandlore. She remembered that Harry and Ollivander had talked at great length, and wished she'd pressed Mr Ollivander for more information at Muriel's.

When Draco Malfoy was mentioned, Ginny chanced a glance around the hall, quickly spotting his pale and terrified face amongst the crowd, between his parents, the family holding each other so tightly it seemed nothing would tear them apart. He was clearly astonished to have a role in this; from the way Harry was talking Malfoy had been of crucial importance, and she saw him wince in terror as Voldemort spoke of attending to him…

'So it all comes down to this, doesn't it?' said Harry, and though it was a whisper, everyone could hear him. The room seemed to hold its breath. 'Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does… I am the true master of the Elder Wand.'

Finally, after the hours of darkness, a dawn burst across the enchanted sky, bathing the room in a red-gold glow, illuminating Harry like fire. They shouted together, both of them striking as the light blinded them.

' _Avada Kedavra!'_

 _'Expelliarmus!_ '

A cataclysmic bang erupted between them, shaking the room and blasting Ginny with hot air, golden flames bursting from where the spells collided, she saw the green of Voldemort's spell bounce back and engulf him, his wand spinning through the air where it was caught swiftly by Harry.

Voldemort fell backwards, his death as mundane and brief as everyone else's that night, sprawled against the floor. Harry looked down at the body, a slightly stunned expression on his face, and swaying slightly.

It took a moment to sink in, before there was an almighty roar of uncontrolled emotion. Ron and Hermione were running to him, and Ginny followed, they barrelled into him so hard that he was knocked to the side slightly, but he hugged them back, still in stunned silence among their incomprehensible shouts, his head bowed. All Ginny could do was shout and scream and cry, she didn't know how to feel, everything was rushing through her at once, but underneath Ron and Hermione's arms she could feel him, her hand against his chest where underneath his heart was beating madly, alive, living, _there_.

She was sobbing, hundreds of others were pressing in, all desperate to touch Harry too. She wanted nothing more than to be closer, to hug him, to feel his arms wrapped around her, but all they could do was exchange a brief, intense look, before he was pulled away from her. His fingers still reached for her even as Professor McGonagall embraced him, and soon the rest of the crowd had surrounded him so much that he was no longer in sight, and a terror rose in her; what if she had lost him again?

But suddenly her mother's arms were around her, and soon the rest of her family too, and in the growing light of day they began to realise their safety, that it was truly over. Ginny hugged her mother back, burying her face into her shoulder, sobbing relentlessly for the evil that had finally passed.

Soon McGonagall waved her wand, and the house tables were replaced, the battle weary house elves cheerfully bringing out trays of food, even sitting at the tables with their fellow comrades. Molly pulled Ginny to a table, and tempted her to eat – it was not until the bread touched her lips that she realised how hungry and exhausted she was, and as she ate, she gazed around the hall now buzzing with life, wondering if it was all a dream.

Demelza held Zaha in a hug, both of them staring out into nothing, their cheeks stained with tears. Beside them, Seamus and Dean were laughing together, Dean apparently regaling Seamus with stories from his time on the run.  
Several times, she saw Harry attempt to sit and eat, or approach the table where the Weasley family sat, but time and time again, he was pulled aside as mourners clasped his hands and gave thanks, embracing him and clapping him on the back, speaking gently either with news or gratitude.

'He looks exhausted,' she said to Luna. 'Can't they see how pale he is?'

'I'll help,' said Luna simply, and she rose, heading to the bench where Harry had just sat heavily, head in his hands. Ginny watched her speak quietly to him, before he gave a brief nod, and she rose, pointing out of a window. 'Oooh, look, a Blibbering Humdinger!'

Ginny gave a small, sad smile, and rested her head on her mother's shoulder, watching as Harry vanished under his cloak. She would find him later, give him a chance to rest, to eat, to come to terms with what had happened. She had no desire to join the crowds surrounding him, and gave Luna a smile of gratitude as Ron and Hermione left the hall, a Harry-sized gap between them.


	34. Chapter 34

A tremendous noise awoke Ginny, who had managed to fall into a deep sleep against her mother's shoulder. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and squinted at the crowd around her; everybody seemed to be standing and leaving the tables in a hurry, shouting, but she couldn't make out what.

'What's going on? Is there another battle?'

'The body,' said Charlie shortly.

'What?' She frowned, and checked her watch. She'd barely been asleep an hour. 'Charlie, what's-?'

But he'd joined the great horde of witches and wizards bunched around the door to one of the side chambers, and as she followed she realised that it was the room Kingsley and Slughorn had moved Voldemort's body. The crowd were jeering and shouting, spitting and cursing, and as Ginny ducked and wriggled through a gap under someone's elbows, she saw why.

Voldemort's body, mostly covered by a dirty looking sheet, was being carried out by Harry and Kingsley. The mob's anger was not directed at them, but no doubt it was an unpleasant experience, and from the look on Harry's face, he still hadn't had any rest.

'Evil!' shouted the witch next to Ginny. 'Pure evil! Evil!'

Somebody lunged from the crowd and hit out at Voldemort's body, almost knocking him off the stretcher. Harry stumbled slightly, looking tense and nervous, mumbling something to the man.

'Please, Mr Flume,' said Kingsley deeply. 'I know you're upset-'

'He killed her,' the man was sobbing. 'Ordered her dead!' Ginny suddenly recognised him as the man who was always behind the counter at Honeydukes…

'Let us pass, Mr Flume.'

'We should be allowed to do what we want with him!' shouted Seamus fiercely. 'He shouldn't be treated with any respect!' There were angry noises of approval at this, and Harry looked desperately to the floor, seemingly unable to look at the body or anyone in the crowd.

'We need to get rid of the body as quickly as possible,' said Professor McGonagall, who Ginny hadn't noticed standing behind Kingsley. 'Make way, and let us be rid of him.' When there were yet more cries of protest, her lips turned into the familiar thin line that always preceded the removal of house points, and she barked, 'is this the way to treat our new Minister of Magic and the man who saved us all? Spare a thought for them and make way so they can do their jobs!'

Harry looked gratefully at McGonagall, and continued to make his way through the crowd, holding the stretcher awkwardly behind him. The crowd parted, but continued to follow, unable to control their anger and grief, persistent in their shouting, hurling abuse at Voldemort.

'None of them were this brave when he was up and walking about, were they?' said Ron, who had pushed his way through to join Ginny.

'I thought you three had snuck off to rest?' she said, as they followed the odd funeral procession through the entrance hall.

'We did, we'd almost made it to the Gryffindor tower before Kingsley bumped into us, asked Harry if he wanted to do this. I don't think he did, but you know what he's like, couldn't say no.'

Harry's back was to her now, but the tenseness in his shoulders and the way his head was bowed gave him the aura of someone gritting their teeth and battling through it. Some reporters had arrived at the castle already and explosion of clicks and flashes surrounded him, the cameras uncomfortably close to his face.

'Where's Hermione?' Ginny asked Ron over the noise of the crowd.

'She's gone to bed, I'll go up and do the same once this is done.'

'You must be shattered too! Go to bed!'

'No,' said Ron protectively. 'I need to keep an eye on Harry.'

They stepped outside, and the crowd followed Harry and Kingsley across the lawn, past the patch where Harry, apparently dead, had lay, and out to where most of the battle had occurred. It looked as though it was going to be a warm spring day. The morning light caught on the patches of blood which stained the grass.

The body was lowered, and now Ginny could see that many of the Hogwarts teachers had been accompanying Harry and Kingsley, for now they were ushering people back with wide open arms, calling for space, and a large semi-circle was forming out of the huge audience.

Wood had been gathered from somewhere, and now Harry and Kingsley were levitating it onto the body, like a backwards pyre.

'They should have put him on top,' spat Demelza viciously. 'So we can watch him burn.'

'No, I'm glad he's at the bottom,' said Seamus. 'It's where he belongs.'

Kingsley clapped Harry on the shoulder and gave him a nod. Harry paused for a moment, before pointing his wand at the base of the pile and shooting blue flames at it. They engulfed the wood quickly, Ginny could immediately feel the heat on her face, and she was standing at least fifteen foot back.

The explosion of clicking began again, Harry turned sharply towards them, startled, before realising his mistake and heading to the remaining pile of logs. He pointed his wand at them, but his hand shook, so without saying a word he tucked it into his pocket and lifted a log by hand. Ginny was not sure who else had noticed. Most people's attention was on the raging fire before them, which they either cheered loudly at or watched in stony silence.

Kingsley seemed to have noticed, and, perhaps to help Harry avoid embarrassment, he followed Harry's lead and also began to manually throw the logs on. They were standing very close, the heat must have been unbearable.

'The photographers are freaking me out,' muttered Demelza. 'All those flashes, it's like spells again.'

'At least they're not pointed at you,' said Ron, who was watching Harry carefully. 'I'm going to say something, they need to leave him alone.'

'No, Ron,' said Ginny. 'I know it's tempting, but leave it, once this is over we can hide him away somewhere. He won't thank you for adding to the drama of the day.'

The cheering had died down, and now most people watched quietly, their faces a landscape of hatred and grief, staring into the hot blue-white flames of the fire. Harry and Kingsley still walked slowly back and forth to the pile of logs, sweat beginning to dampen their clothes, their swaying gaits suggesting dizziness from the heat. Ginny felt Ron's arm around her and thought of the time the Carrow's had burnt all of Harry's things.

'Where are all the prisoners?' she asked. 'All the Death Eaters we captured?'

'Moved down to the dungeons, but there aren't many of them. Most of them scarpered.'

'Are the Carrows there?' asked Seamus sharply. 'Wouldn't mind paying them a visit before they fall under Azkaban's protection.'

'No idea,' said Ron.

Seamus gave a nod, something dark in his eyes. 'I'm going to go and check. Fancy joining me, anyone?'

'Count me in,' said Terry Boot, pure malice in his expression. A few more growls of agreement, and those most badly treated by the Carrows returned to the castle in a spirit of viciousness. Ginny wanted to follow them, wanted to hurt the Carrows too, but she was distracted.

'He looks like he's going to faint,' she said to Ron quietly.

'You took the words out of my mouth,' he said, pushing forward. Flitwick tried to stop him, squeakily insisting that he stay back. 'Sorry Professor, but I need to speak to Harry…'

Ron and Ginny crossed the grass, getting ever closer to the heat, and Ron stretched out an arm and touched Harry on the shoulder. Harry jumped, one hand leaping to his pocket, before his face immediately relaxed on seeing Ron.

'Come on, mate,' said Ron quietly. 'You've done your bit.'

'No, I need to-'

'Harry, you're about to collapse,' said Ginny firmly. 'Come on, now.'

She placed a hand on his arm, and as she did the flashing intensified, some of the larger cameras even banging and smoking, and though Harry had his back to them he closed his eyes tightly. Under her fingers, his arm trembled.

'You go, Harry,' said Kingsley. 'It's all done now.'

Harry looked at him. 'I'll come and find you later about the-'

'Yes, yes, it can all be discussed. Go to the hospital wing.'

'We'll take him,' Ron told Kingsley, and he carefully began to lead Harry away. Harry walked as though in a daze, there was something not quite right about his eyes, they seemed to stare into the distance. The crowd swarmed around them, many shouting for Harry, asking to speak to him, trying to touch him, but he stared into nothing, his head slightly bowed.

'Get out the way!' Ginny yelled back. 'Leave him alone!'

Ron was rather more diplomatic, merely asking people to let them through, though still being rather sharp with his  
elbows and keeping a firm grip on Harry's shoulder. Behind them, the reporters and photographers seemed unsure of what to do. Photograph the new Minister by the burning body of He Who Must Not Be Named, or follow The Chosen One? Ginny helped them come to their decision by firing a Bat-Bogey hex at a burly-looking photographer who was obnoxiously shouting 'Potter!' as he chased them.

'Where are we going?' asked Harry confusedly as Ron pulled him away from the direction of the Gryffindor tower.

'Weren't you listening? Hospital wing.'

'What? No, I'm fine, I just need some sleep-'

'You can sleep in the hospital wing,' said Ron, reminding Ginny strongly of their mother.

'Actual injured people need those beds-'

'Most of them have been transferred to St Mungos already,' said Ginny. 'Come on, we could argue all day…'  
When they arrived, the room was bustling with Healers and groups of families, but as Ginny had said, there were very few patients. Most of the staff simply seemed to be cleaning up and taking down notes from next of kin, though a few beds seemed to be screened off.

A harassed looking blonde Healer in St Mungos uniform bustled up to them, one eye still on her clipboard. 'Can I help you? Are you looking for someone- Oh!' She had recognised Harry and now stared shamelessly, her mouth gaping open.

'Er, no, don't worry,' muttered Harry, but Ron spoke over him.

'Is Madam Pomfrey about?'

At the sound of her name, Madam Pomfrey appeared from behind one of the screens, carrying a bundle of bandages. 'Ah, Potter, it's been an odd year without you wandering in and out. And some Weasleys too, this is like old times. Come on then, let's have a look at you.'

'I'm fine, really,' Harry protested. 'You're probably really busy-'

Madam Pomfrey turned to the blonde Healer. 'Belinda, go to the Great Hall and see if you can fetch the rest of the Weasley family. They've all got red hair. We might as well check the whole lot of them now.'

'Right…' said Belinda faintly, still staring at Harry as she backed away. 'Sure…'

Ron and Ginny took Harry to a nearby bed, and as he sat on the edge he turned to Ron. 'I told you, you should have gone to bed with Hermione-'

Ron began to argue, but Madam Pomfrey gave a stern look to the pair of them. 'Enough of that now, although Mr Weasley I think it would be a good idea if you went and fetched Miss Granger so I can check her over. I'd like to check everyone over while you're all here.'

'And then we can go home?' said Ron, as though it were the most wonderful thing in the world.

'Certainly. I recommend it, you won't get any peace and quiet here, there's already talks of organising a street party in Diagon Alley, and I doubt you want to get cajoled into that.' Ron didn't need another word, he gave Harry one last pat on the shoulder and sped out the room. Harry barely reacted, and Madam Pomfrey looked at him shrewdly.

'It looks like you're suffering from a bit of spell-shock, Mr Potter, I doubt you're the only one. It will take time to go, but you'll learn to cope eventually.' She looked down at the bundle of bandages in her arms. 'I'll just go and get rid of these, neither of you go anywhere, you _both_ need seeing to.' As she left, she pulled the screen back around them, shielding them from view of the rest of the room.

They were finally alone, and they both realised it. Ginny, who still stood by the bed on which Harry sat, lifted her gaze to him slowly. He looked back, his green eyes piercing.

She took a step towards him at the same time as he reached out an arm, resting his trembling hand on her waist and pulling her closer. She leaned her forehead against his, and though neither of them said anything they were now both breathing deeply, Ginny pursing her lips slightly to stop herself from crying. Her hands reached up to touch his face, tracing his jawline, grazing his cheeks. His hands pressed firmly against her back, she could feel their warmth through her shirt.

'I'm sorry,' he whispered.

She let out a shuddering breath she hadn't been aware she'd been holding, and leaned into him more. Now his arms were wrapped around her in a tight hug, and they held each other for the first time since he'd left, both so thankful that the other was here, alive, and that it was finally over…

They kissed. Very softly, savouring the moment, tender and careful. Ginny's heart was still fragile, and it was still hard to believe he was back, she worried that if she kissed him too hard he would crumble away into dust, and she'd lose him again, but their kiss was like a promise to her. They only broke away when Madam Pomfrey loudly coughed.

***

The next few days passed in a kind of numbness for Ginny. For all of them. Snatches of happiness were found in unlikely places, when they forgot what had happened and shared in the lifted burden they had carried for so long. When Harry entered the Great Hall and was promptly chased out by a large flock of owls; when he, Ron, Hermione and Ginny hid from oncoming reporters by scrambling up into a tree; when she told him about Hagrid's 'Support Harry Potter' party and he'd roared with laughter; when they'd climbed through a hole in the wall and sat on the roof to watch Dedalus Diggle's shooting stars.

Sometimes, she hadn't known how to think, she hadn't been able to place the emotion that filled her like ice water. Dennis Creevy and Zaha had sent Colin's camera to _The Prophet_ , and now his photos, undeveloped by magic, showed the battle, frozen in time, haunting and terrible. Ginny didn't want to call them beautiful, but she wasn't sure how else to call them, the way he had expertly captured emotions on faces she was sure hadn't known they were being photographed, the way he had found bursts of colour and love among grey dust and rubble. She had sobbed, hard, over a picture of Tonks, wailing to the sky, her still hands clutching at a man the caption described as ' _a werewolf Order member_ '. But the fury that Hermione showed over that small caption invigorated her, it was empowering to do the British thing of writing a terribly angry letter about it, and the girls spent a good hour thinking carefully over their words, each one picked and placed perfectly to make sure something _changed_.

Doing things seemed to lessen her guilt, made her forget that she had smuggled Colin back into the castle, made her forget that she had used an Unforgivable Curse (even if it was on someone who deserved it), made her forget that one of Tonks's last moments had been pushing her away to protect her. So, like Harry, Ron and Hermione, she threw herself into assistance, helping McGonagall organise where people could sleep, rebuilding the wall that had killed Fred, and working with Flitwick to scan the huge amount of post Harry was receiving for anything malicious.

But overwhelmingly, constantly, was the ache of grief. They had not, as Ron had been so eager to do, gone home immediately, but waited for nearly a week, helping to rebuild and reorganise, but mostly joining the endless procession of funerals that steadily filled the new graveyard amidst Dumbledore's tomb.

Molly had cried, because she wanted to take Fred home with them, but George had insisted that it was right that Fred should stay here, in the grounds where he had fought for everything good in the world. It had been the only time George had really spoken since the battle, so they listened to him, simply thankful that he was not in his dead-eyed stupor. But of course, he returned to silence, barely eating, sleeping constantly, unable to be tempted into conversation.

Harry helped carry the coffins, not just for Fred but for any family that asked him, and with each one he rested on his shoulders he seemed to grow older and older, eventually confessing to Ginny after a little too much firewhiskey that each felt heavier than the last. 'I wish they would stop asking me,' he admitted, looking thoroughly ashamed of himself. 'They all keep telling me how much it would mean to them and I can't say no, but I don't even know most of these people.' Yet he never did refuse, and though each one was like a fresh wound, Ginny could see how much it helped the families of the fifty or so people they had lost.

It had been even worse when Andromeda arrived for the funeral of her daughter and son in law. She wordlessly handed Teddy to Harry and left to sob over her daughter's coffin. Harry stared at the baby with the same unfocused look in his eye that Ginny had seen in the hospital wing, before apologising, over and over again, coming out in ever louder sobs as the baby started to squirm and cry.

'Harry, stop- Harry! It's not your fault-'

'I've done this to him,' he said helplessly. 'Look, look what I've done to him…'

'He won't have a life like yours, Harry,' Ginny told him desperately. 'He won't, he's got you, and Andromeda, and all of us, he'll be so loved-'

'He could have had brothers and sisters,' Harry said, staring at the squalling baby. 'He could have had so much, and I stole it from him.'

'Dolohov and Bellatrix Lestrange stole it from him,' said Ginny. 'Voldemort stole it from him. And they're gone now.'

But Remus, Tonks, Fred and Colin wouldn't come back. Sometimes she found Harry standing at the edge of the forest looking longingly into it, and she wondered if he was hoping that if he had returned, they could too, but he never said a word. Simply took her by the hand and walked with her around the lake as they gradually, piece by piece, told each other their stories.

When they aligned, it was as though they were connecting somehow, like a friendly little wave from their past selves. When Ginny told Harry about the torn photo of the laughing Lily Potter she had found, he had reached into the pouch around his neck and brought out the other half. When they went to the Headmaster's Office together and found it, he spell-o-taped it together, and it felt like the completion of a circle.

When they buried Snape, there had been outcry that he should be allowed to be buried in the same place as the heroes of the battle — surely he should be burned, like Voldemort and the rest of the Death Eaters?

But Harry had insisted, and his defeat of Voldemort had elevated him to an even grander heroic status than he'd had before, almost revered, so nobody argued, and he led the funeral. He explained Snape's life, and even though _The Prophet_ ran it as a scandalous, sordid story, along with rather sexualised descriptions of Lily Potter next to an abundance of pictures, people slowly began to understand Snape as a different man to the one he had lived as. Harry left lilies at his grave.

On their last day at Hogwarts, Harry and Ron had an argument. Struggling with the memory of his friend willingly walking to his death without saying goodbye, Ron had become over-protective at best, rarely letting Harry out of his sight, smothering him more than Molly ever had, and speaking with concern about his spell-shock recovery to the rest of his family. When Harry enthusiastically took up Kingsley's offer of fast-streaming into the Auror department, Ron had reacted with horror and fury.

'You said you'd had enough trouble for a lifetime! You said that! You finally got out of murderers trying to kill you all the time, and now you've signed up to do it again!'

'What else am I going to do?' asked Harry. 'I don't really know anything else, do I? I don't think I'd suit a desk job, and I'm sorry to disappoint you, but they won't pay me to stand in your presence all day making sure I don't get hurt.'

'You could do Quidditch!' said Ron. 'Or… Or…' He flustered helplessly, his ears pink with rage but the rest of his face pale under his freckles.

'I want to find the other Death Eaters,' said Harry. 'I thought you wanted to as well? You said yesterday you were furious so many of them escaped.'

'Well, yeah, but…' Ron looked devastated. He turned to Ginny. 'Aren't you worried?' he demanded. 'He could come back from his first day in a body bag.'

'Well knowing Harry he'd only get up again,' muttered Ginny.

Ron then looked to his mother for support, who shared some concern, but eventually simply said, 'you have wanted to be an Auror for a long time, haven't you, Harry?'

At Harry's nod, Ron point an accusatory finger at him. 'Then I'm doing it too! We do this stuff together.'  
Harry smiled. 'All right,' he said happily.

'And you're not allowed to go off and start saying you need to do stuff alone.'

'Fine.'

'And you're not allowed to go and off yourself without saying goodbye.'

'I'll make sure to say goodbye first.'

When they finally returned to the Burrow, much of it had been trashed. But, like the castle, it was therapeutic to rebuild, to focus on something other than memories and loss. Fred's clock hand was found by Molly on the floor of the kitchen, and she wailed, clutching it to her chest, before shoving it in a drawer Ginny was sure would never be opened again.  
Harry and Ron began to work as Aurors, coming back in the evenings so exhausted that they were nearly falling asleep at the table, but motivated and excited. Harry in particular often brought home huge manila folders, like the one MacNair had taunted them with at the wedding, and he pored over them well into the night, his brow furrowed in concentration.

At night, she would often slip silently to his room, curling up next to him for whispered conversations and deep kisses. If Ron was aware, he didn't seem to mind, for both he and Hermione were often absent too, and within a week the pair of them had gone together to Australia.

During this time when they had the bedroom alone, Ginny and Harry began to truly know one another, and he revealed secrets to her that even Ron and Hermione didn't know. He told her about how he had been forced to watch the murder of his parents through Voldemort's eyes, the exact wording of his and Ron's argument that had torn at his deepest unhappiness and jealousies, and his long walk through the forest, accompanied by his loved ones.

'And then, when I faced him,' he whispered one night, 'my mind ran through everyone I cared about, everyone I was doing it for. You were the final one I thought of, that blazing look you have sometimes, and the way it feels when you kiss me… If I'd known that was going to be the last thing I would see, the walk there would have been far easier.'

Her heart melted, and her eyes filled with tears. She kissed him, more passionately than she ever had before, and if Harry thought that she had a blazing look he was surely right, for something was ablaze in her. A feeling of certainty and understanding that with love, all would be well in the end.


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: I'd like to thank you all for supporting this story, especially those of you who have kept me going with your kind and helpful reviews from day one. This fic has really done its purpose for me. I started it in September after finding out my mum had breast cancer, and wrote it on the five hour train journey every other weekend as I visited her. In just over a week she'll be having her operation, and hopefully that will be the end of it. This story has kept me going through a really tough time, and your comments have meant the world to me. I really hope you've enjoyed it, and I hope this sort-of epilogue is a good enough ending. Thank you, Flo xxx**

The waves hushed gently against the shore on the last day of August, and despite the glorious weather, the large Cornish beach was almost entirely deserted. Families and dog walkers that approached this particular stretch of coastline kept realising that they'd forgotten to pick Auntie Mabel up from bingo, or needed to put more money in the car parking meter, or even that they were quite unsure why they'd come to the beach in the first place, and that they'd rather be at home.

The only people this odd sensation didn't seem to affect was a large party of mostly red-heads, who had descended the steep path from the cliff above, atop of which a small cottage could be seen. Now they sat on blankets and deck chairs, three young men hammering a large striped windbreaker into the sand.

This was not the only gathering they had had that summer. In an effort to keep the family as close together as possible, Molly Weasley had insisted on dinners, lunches, brunches, walks through the countryside, trips to Muggle London… Anything to try to help them forget what had happened, and who was missing. She kept her children close to her and viewed declined invitations with suspicion, insisting that they make the most of the good weather. When Harry had casually mentioned that he had never had a day at the beach, their activity for the last day before Hermione and Ginny returned to school was set, and the picnic packed with military precision.

Though it had not been overtly mentioned, Molly was clearly nervous and resentful that her daughter was returning to school (not to mention that several of her sons were hinting it was time for them to move out again), so everyone was obligated to come. This included the stray cats of the family: Harry and Hermione, of course, but also Andromeda, Teddy, and even Percy's girlfriend Audrey, who sat awkwardly among the huge family she had never met before, glancing nervously at Fleur and her intimidatingly beautiful figure.

Ginny was leaning back in her deck chair, digging her feet into the warm sand. When she closed her eyes, the sun made the darkness a dusky orange, and she could hear Harry's voice, enthusiastic and determined, from the windbreaker.

'I think I've managed to trace him to Croatia. I know we thought the trail had run cold, but I was thinking about that interview with Madam Marsh, and I really think there might be something-'

'Harry,' interrupted Ron, pausing the erection of the windbreaker, 'do you see this mallet? If you don't stop talking about work, I will hit you in the face with it.'

Ginny opened her eyes and turned to watch, hoping to see Ron get more agitated, but Harry just gave a sheepish grin and continued to hold the post steady.

'I still think we could just use magic,' grumbled Charlie, who was struggling alone at one end. 'The Muggle-repelling charm worked, didn't it?'

'I'm not risking it,' said Arthur firmly. 'There could still be Muggles on the cliffs. We're keeping magic to an absolute minimum.'

'The baby's got blue hair!' said Ron, outraged. Teddy gurgled happily in Andromeda's lap, unaware of Ron pointing at him with the mallet. 'If a Muggle sees that, they're going to know something's up anyway, he looks ridiculous!'

'He doesn't! And they won't see it,' said Harry defensively. 'He's got a sun hat on.' That Teddy kept pulling it off and throwing it on the sand didn't seem to matter.

With the windbreak as sturdy as they could manage it, Harry, Ron and Charlie joined the rest of the family, flopping down onto the blankets, looking out to the sea. Like Ginny, Harry immediately closed his eyes to the sun, stretching out in the warmth. She hadn't stopped staring at him all summer, marvelling in his existence, grateful to the core for his life, though sometimes when she woke in the mornings, she didn't remember that he was really here. She woke with the memory of him lying at Hagrid's feet, and grief would wash over her, renewed and healed every day. It was exhausting.

'I think I'd like to live by the sea,' he mumbled, finally opening his eyes and looking out to the waves.

'It's quite nice, I suppose,' said Ron. 'Not a touch on Australia though, is it, Hermione?' He missed Ginny rolling her eyes by turning to grin enthusiastically at his girlfriend, who beamed soppily back.

'Yes, how are your parents settling back in, Hermione?' asked Molly, rooting around in the picnic basket.

'Well, they seem to be getting less annoyed with me,' said Hermione happily. 'And we're going to have breakfast in London tomorrow before we get the train.'

Ron's face fell. 'It's not too late if you've changed your mind, you know…'

'We'll have Hogsmeade weekends,' Hermione said, leaning down from her deck chair to pat him on the hand.

'He can't sneak into her room then,' said Ginny quietly over Hermione's reassurances, exchanging a sly grin with Harry. They were all still somehow maintaining an unspoken understanding that she and Ron swap rooms each night, passing each other in the corridor as though simply going to the bathroom, determinedly avoiding eye contact. Harry had been amazed that Ron hadn't lectured him about it, but Ginny had pointed out that if he did, it would be the end of his midnight visits to Hermione too, so even if he was a bit of an idiot at times, even he could see that it was in his best interests to keep quiet. How any of them would cope sleeping alone with no partner to soothe their nightmares she had no idea…

Sandwiches, chicken, biscuits, and pots of strawberries were handed out, bottles of daisyroot draught clinking as they were pulled from the magically-cooled bag. Even with the large tartan blankets laid out, Ginny still felt the gritty crunch of sand in her sandwich, but as her mother pulled out a beautifully decorated cake that had no doubt taken hours, she knew to keep quiet, and instead watched the rest of the family chatter.

'No, no,' Fleur said to Arthur as he handed her a bottle of the cider. 'Zank you, but I am fine.' He looked confused, but then delighted as she quickly started asking him about his recent work with Muggle technology.

'They're called _washy machines_ , and they're quite fascinating, I would love to bring one home to put in the shed…'

Charlie had started enthusiastically digging a hole in the sand between bites of his sandwich, under Bill's chuckling supervision and Percy's concerned warnings about collapsing walls. George was watching them with something close to envy on his face, and Ginny thought he might go and join them, but he simply continued to watch sullenly.

'Pass him here,' Harry was saying to Andromeda. 'No, don't worry, eat your lunch, I've got him…'

Soon the wriggling baby was next to Harry on the blanket, eagerly grasping at a rolled up ball of tin foil that Ron waved above his face like a little silver Snitch. Ginny smiled down at him, making kissy noises, her heart both happy and devastated at the way he looked just like Tonks.

'He's started rolling over now,' said Harry, through a mouthful of sandwich. 'You'll be crawling soon, won't you, mate?'  
Teddy looked at him, his electric blue hair softening into turquoise. 'He does like that colour, doesn't he?' said Ginny.

'Nice and bright.' An image of pink through grey dust was flickering in her mind.

'It goes back to black when he's asleep sometimes,' said Harry. 'That must be his natural colour, Remus said it was black when he was born.'

'Are you really going to move back into Grimmauld Place?' Ginny asked, eyeing him carefully. 'Just so you can take him on your nights off?'

'Well, he wakes everyone up, doesn't he?' said Harry quietly, gently playing with Teddy's foot. Ginny knew he was lying. It was not Teddy that woke everyone, though she had certainly stirred at the sounds of his cries from time to time. It was the screaming that woke Teddy, woke them all, from every corner of the house. The night terrors that crept over them like Lethifolds. They had all experienced it, some more than others, and the supply of dreamless sleep potion was getting ever lower…

'Are you sure you're going to be all right on your own, though? You haven't found it easy,' she said bluntly.

He smirked at her, playful offence across his face. 'Well, no, but I haven't been terrible, have I?'

'No, not at all,' she admitted. He'd been rather good really. Initially so terrified he could barely hold him, Harry grew more comfortable with each visit, to the point where he badgered Andromeda for more time. Yes, he still got flustered and angry at himself when he made mistakes, and, yes, in the early hours when he couldn't soothe Teddy's cries, he insisted that it was because the baby missed his parents and that it was his fault… But despite that, Teddy helped him focus and recover, helped him channel his grief into caring for and protecting something close to real family.

'I'll be there too,' said Ron. 'I'm not getting up at night though. Or changing nappies.'

'Oh, Ron, you should help at least a little bit!' scolded Hermione.

Ron waved a hand at Harry. 'He knows I'm joking. I like the little potato head really.' Harry's expression suggested that he wasn't sure, but Ginny knew that, as Ron had done with Scabbers and Pigwidgeon, his sometimes dismissive treatment of the baby hid his strong feelings of attachment.

'Go on, George,' came her mother's pleading voice. 'Just have a little.'

'I'm fine,' said George dully. 'I've had a sandwich.'

'Toffee cake, though, George, your favourite-'

'I'm not hungry,' he repeated. Even in the glorious day that surrounded them in warm hues of yellow and blue, George still looked sickly and tired, reluctant to join in any activities. Ginny watched him, and despite the sun felt cold. She wondered if he would ever be the same.

Molly looked desperately at him, but George turned away, looking further up the beach to the distant Muggle fishing village.

'We'll have some of that cake, Mum,' said Bill quickly, throwing a meaningful glance at Charlie.

'Yeah,' agreed Charlie hastily. 'Looks great…'

Ginny knew that Charlie hated toffee. She took some too, trying to smile bracingly at her mother, but it was painfully obvious that, like every other day that summer, the family was putting on a front of happiness, pretending that everything was normal. Often, she felt as though they were all walking on a frozen lake, the ice creaking and cracking beneath them, ready to plunge them back into the devastating despair that had haunted them the weeks after the battle.

Yet it was starting to work, slowly. Maybe not for George, but for everyone else forcing the false happiness and normality seemed to be gradually becoming more natural. Andromeda had opened up a book and was looking increasingly at peace, Charlie was now discussing his plans to return to Romania with his father, and Audrey was looking terrified as Harry tried valiantly to engage her in conversation, bouncing Teddy on his knee.

'It's mostly tax law,' Audrey was saying hurriedly at her feet. 'Nothing exciting like you get up to, I suppose, you've had a very interesting life, haven't you? Not that those tragic things were interesting, I mean- I suppose you don't like talking about it, I'm sorry, I've just never really met anyone that does exciting things before, lots of people think law is very boring, especially tax law, but I do spend a lot of time working with the goblins and of course it is interesting when you put it into the socioeconomic context of wizarding society, particularly after the rapid changes in governmental procedures in recent years-'

'It sounds very interesting,' said Harry politely. 'Is that how you both met?'

'Yes, it is,' said Percy loudly, looking delighted with himself. 'At the time, I was the go-to man for issues concerning taxation policy in regards to taxes on production and importation of broomsticks and other transportation artefacts-' Harry's eyes were glazing over, and Ginny was biting back a giggle, but Audrey was looking up at Percy with an expression of pure admiration.

'We talked for hours,' simpered Audrey. 'He was such a gentleman, and we had such a riveting discussion when we compared the accounts for the major racing brands…'

Ginny looked over at Hermione, hoping to exchange an amused glance, but to her disappointment Hermione actually looked mildly interested. Harry was firmly avoiding eye contact with her, but as Percy began discussing a corporate tax issue with Cleansweep in painful detail, she could listen no more.

'How much snogging do you do?' she interrupted loudly, drawing everyone's attention.

'Ginny!' admonished Molly.

'What? It's a fair question, I just wanted to make sure they don't talk about tax all the time,' she said stubbornly, enjoying how Percy and Audrey had both turned the exact same shade of red.

'Audrey, I'm so sorry about my daughter-'

'It's fine!' squeaked Audrey. 'Fine!'

'My sister can be a little immature,' said Percy, flustered. 'Just ignore her, Audrey-'

Audrey looked even more terrified, staring across at Percy with increasing desperation. Ginny started to feel a bit guilty; no doubt Audrey had been very keen to make a good impression. 'Sorry, Audrey,' she said. 'I didn't mean to embarrass you, I just wanted to make sure Percy was fulfilling all your needs.'

'Ginny!'

Molly was scandalised, Andromeda was hiding her laughter behind her book, Ron, and Charlie were cackling loudly, even George was watching with interest. Harry's shoulders were shaking as he tried to stop himself from laughing.

Unfortunately, as Percy frantically tried to go over and comfort his embarrassed girlfriend, he tripped over the corner of the blanket, crashing into Harry who, in an effort to keep Teddy out of harm's way, left his entire face exposed to Percy's flailing arm, which connected with his forehead with a loud _smack_.

'Careful, Perce, you'll give him a scar,' said George.

The moment hung in the air like an explosion. The entire family stared at him. He seemed surprised himself. Harry's spluttered laughter broke the pause first, swiftly followed by the rest of the delighted family. George didn't join in, and his expression returned to one of melancholy, but it was the first sign of the real George they had seen in months, and it elated them all.

As the sun sank lower into the sky, a small campfire was made, and they circled around it, stubbornly ignoring the increasingly chilly air. The laughter and smiles becoming ever more genuine, and, after some crying, Teddy fell asleep in Harry's arms.

There was a cough, and the chatter was silenced as Bill and Fleur rose. 'Now seems like a good moment to let you all know…' began Bill.

'Oh my goodness,' shrieked Molly, looking at them both in a mix of shock and excitement.

'…That we're expecting a baby,' he finished, smiling down at his wife. Once again, the family erupted in happy noise, everyone leaping up to hug and congratulate the couple. Teddy woke with an irritable cry, but both Harry and Andromeda were grinning broadly; to hear that there was going to be new life was fantastic. A tiny spark of their future had started that evening, and it was the greatest cure of all.

When Harry finally handed Teddy back to Andromeda, Ginny sat next to him on the blanket, curling up close despite her family being there. They only had a few hours left together after all.

'Christmas seems far away,' she said softly.

He kissed her forehead. 'I'll miss you. But it will be easier than before. At least we'll be able to write, and I can visit on Hogsmeade weekends.'

'And I can officially tell Romilda to back off.'

He grinned and they quickly checked to make sure nobody was looking. Fleur was still the centre of attention, everyone was too distracted to look over to the far side of the campfire. Harry kissed her, deeply and meaningfully, he warmed her very soul.

'Oi!' Ron had spotted them, and Harry jumped away from her before more attention was drawn to them.

Later, when everyone had returned to talking (Andromeda and Molly suggesting baby names already), Charlie now waist deep in his hole, Ginny watched George rise and quietly walk to the water's edge. She followed him, nervous that he would shout at her and tell her to leave him alone as he had done several times that summer, but when she stood next to him in the surf he didn't move. Though cold, the breeze was pleasant, and it made their hair flicker and dance around their eyes, George's freckles seemed almost brown in the glowing light of the setting sun.

'You made a joke,' she said simply.

'Yeah,' he replied, his voice a little hoarse. He breathed in heavily, and then his sigh was slow and controlled. 'Are you going to be all right?' he said suddenly, after several moments of silence. 'At… At school.'

She had given the same answer to everyone, even Harry, but to George she decided to be honest. 'No.' He looked at her. The water swirled around their feet. 'But that's okay,' she said.

He nodded slightly. 'You'll have Hermione with you, I suppose.' There was a long pause again, he seemed to be gearing himself up for something, so she waited patiently. 'I'm going to open the shop again,' he said finally.

'You are?' she couldn't help the hope sounding through her voice, she could feel her cheeks pulling involuntarily into a smile. She didn't want to frighten him off, or put too much pressure on him, but he just nodded again, and looked back out to the horizon. In the distance, a triangle of white bobbed on the waves, gleaming in the dimming light.

'Yeah, I… I'm tired,' he said honestly. 'All I do is sit around all day and… It's tiring.'

'I know what you mean,' she said quietly. 'You have to keep yourself busy.'

'It's not even that,' he said, eyes still fixed on the sail boat. 'You lot all play happy families and act like everything's fine, and I wish I could too… But I'm always too tired.'

'If we're being insensitive-'

'No,' he said, still breathing deeply. 'He was your brother too. I can't keep acting like I'm the only one who misses him. And there'll be another baby on the way soon, and I need to catch up with you all and be able to… You know, to _celebrate_ these things.'

The waves broke gently at their ankles, and Ginny found herself leaning against him, his arm automatically wrapping round her shoulders as they both stared at the boat. 'He'd like the shop to be open again,' she said quietly. His heart thudded under her ear, steady, calm and strong.

'Yeah… It won't be the same. I won't be the same. But you're right. That's okay.'


End file.
